To further protect rhinos from poachers, the government has begun notching their ears and fitting them with transmitters.

The campaign started in the Tsavo West protection zone and will help in monitoring and tracing the endangered species.

“Over the last three decades, the Government of Kenya – alongside conservation partners – has invested significant resources in reversing the decline of the rhino population,” said Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, who oversaw the start of the drive.

 “Today, I’m proud to announce that Kenya’s national rhino population stands at 1,977 individuals. This comprises … 1,004 black rhinos, 971 southern white rhinos and the two remaining northern white rhinos.

“Nothing can possibly testify better to the impact our strategies and partnerships have yielded thus far.”

Conservation efforts go beyond Tsavo and rhinos, she added. “We are here to reflect more deeply on Kenya’s broader conservation agenda, an agenda that places wildlife at the heart of our collective heritage and by extension better prospects of our overall economic well-being,” she said.

 These efforts come as Kenya has made significant progress in protecting rhinos from poaching, with no case reported in 2020, something last achieved over two decades ago.

Major attraction

Kenya is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, data from the  Kenya Wildlife Service shows. 

It hosts slightly more than 800 of the beasts.

Black rhinos are smaller than their white cousins, and there is actually no colour difference between them at all, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy reports.

Kenya’s wildlife is a major tourist attraction that contributes more than $1 billion to the national economy annually. The rhino is one of the “big five” animals that constitute the core of the tourism industry.

In-ear notching, a rhino is allocated a permanent, unique national identity number. This is marked by special marks or cuts on its ears. The marks facilitate rapid identification and easy monitoring.