8 Endangered Black Rhinoceros Die in Kenya After Offshoring

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Eight critically endangered black rhinos died in Kenya after an attempt was made The government said Friday that the record was "unprecedented" in more than a decade of such transfers.

Preliminary investigations indicate saline intoxication while rhinos were trying to adapt to more salty water. in their new home, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife said in a statement. He suspended the ongoing movement of other rhinos and said the survivors were closely watched.

Losing rhinos is "a complete disaster," said Paula Kahumbu, a prominent Kenyan defender of WildlifeDirect

to protect black rhinoceros subspecies from poachers who target them for their horns to supply an illegal Asian market.

By moving a group of 11 rhinos to Nairobi's new Tsavo East National Park last month, the Kenya Wildlife Service was hoping to stimulate the population there. The government agency did not say how the rhinos died. Fourteen of the animals were to be moved in full

"Disciplinary measures will certainly be taken" if a death investigation indicates negligence by agency staff, said the Department of Wildlife.

"Moving rhinos is complicated When moving gold bullion, it requires extremely careful planning and security because of the value of these rare animals," Kahumbu said in a statement. "Rhinoceros translocations also have major welfare considerations and I fear the suffering endured by these poor animals before they died."

Wildlife transportation is a strategy used by conservationists to promote their lives. environment to restore or even reduce animal populations. In May, six black rhinos were moved from South Africa to Chad, bringing the species back to northern central Africa for nearly half a century. after annihilation

said the Department of Wildlife.

According to WWF, black rhinoceros populations declined dramatically in the 20th century, mostly in the hands of European hunters and settlers. Between 1960 and 1995, the numbers dropped by 98% to less than 2,500.

Since then, the species has rebounded, although it remains extremely threatened. In addition to poaching, animals also face habitat loss. African Parks, a conservation group based in Johannesburg, said earlier this year that there were fewer than 25,000 rhinos in the African wilderness, about 20% of which are black rhinos. In another major setback for conservation, the last remaining male white rhino died in March in Kenya, leaving conservatives struggling to save this subspecies using in vitro fertilization.

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