Endangered rhinos die during transport in Kenya | Nature

The transfer of 11 black rhinos from the Nairobi and Lake Nakuru reserves was carried out as part of a plan including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The goal was to create safer spaces for animals in an appropriate habitat.

The incident was classified as a "disaster" by doubling the number of deaths of this species in similar operations over the past 12 years. "This is not the first time that KWS has been transferring animals, so we deserve to know the cause of the death of this precious animal, something has gone wrong and we want to know what," he said. Paula Kahumbu, Director of Wildlife Direct. Tourism and wildlife, Najib Balala, a quick investigation of the episode.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, preliminary studies suggest that rhinos may have succumbed to "salt intoxication resulting from ingestion of high-salinity water upon arrival in the new environment" .

"High levels of salt lead to dehydration, which triggers the mechanism of thirst, resulting in excessive intake of salt water, which further aggravates the problem," say the authors of the report. study. A full report, however, should be published in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Balala ordered the KWS to immediately suspend the current translocation. The agency announced that "disciplinary action will definitely be taken if the findings reveal negligence or unprofessional conduct on the part of a KWS agent".

The so-called translocation of endangered animals involves lulling them to sleep during the journey and relaunching them in a process involving certain risks. The loss of so many rhinoceroses at the same time, however, is unprecedented. Between 2005 and 2017, for example, a total of 149 rhinos were moved this way, with a death toll of eight.