Poaching remains a serious threat to rhinos in Kenya – last year marked the highest number of rhinos ever poached in the country.

Benson Okita, senior scientist at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says 13 black rhinos and six white rhinos were killed in National Parks and community land across the nation last year, constituting 2.2 per cent of Kenya’s rhino population.

Currently there are 635 black rhino and 330 white rhino in Kenya, with the majority living in National Parks.

Okita adds that most of the killings took place in December at the Mugie Ranch in Laikipia, with most poachers using homemade guns or poisoned arrows.

Rhinos are typically killed for their famous horn, which some people believe has medicinal benefits. However, Okita claims is not the case:

“The rhino horn, as much as people use it for medicinal purposes, has no medicinal property and this has been proven scientifically. So all these things that people are talking about are all beliefs which eventually affect a species that also has a right to live.”

KWS scientists also stress the importance of resolving human wildlife conflict in the fight to save the rhino, and the need to build bomas to protect livestock and educate livestock owners about the importance of conservation.

Aside from rhinos, Kenya is also experiencing an increase in the killings of other animals such as hyenas and lions, which are often shot by farmers for preying on their animals.

The problem has become so bad for lions that Kenyan officials estimate 100 lions are killed each year, causing the lion population to dip down to 2,000 in 2008.

ADOPT A RHINO WITH WWF

By Taylor Turner