A captured black rhino peeps from a cage during a relocation exercise from Lake Nakuru National Park. AFP / Getty Images
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) reported Tuesday that poachers killed a 12-year-old male black rhino in Lake Nakuru National Park. The death follows a series of disasters surrounding the critically endangered animals in Kenya's national parks.
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Ten out of 11 black rhinos have died in recent weeks following a botched relocation attempt from Nairobi and Nakuru National Parks to Tsavo East National Park.
</p><p>The only rhino to survive the translocation was subsequently attacked by lions, tourism minister Najib Balala said Thursday. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-wildlife/only-rhino-to-survive-kenyan-relocation-is-attacked-by-lions-idUSKBN1KG1N1" target="_blank">Earlier reports</a> said the rhino was recovering after the attack but it appears to have died as well.
</p><p>In a <a href="https://twitter.com/KTF_Kenya/status/1024346572597993473" target="_blank">statement</a> released Monday, the Kenya Tourism Federation expressed "deep concerns and sadness in regards to the unprecedented tragic death of 11 Rhinos in the recent translocation exercise." The <a href="https://intlrhinofoundation.wordpress.com/2018/07/31/all-rhinos-translocated-to-tsavo-east-national-park-have-died/" target="_blank">International Rhino Foundation confirmed</a> Tuesday that the 11th rhino died after the lion attack as well. <br></p><p>
<span></span>The latest slaughter means 12 black rhinos have recently died in Kenyan sanctuaries. </p><p>Catherine Wambani, senior park warden at the Lake Nakuru National Park, said the rhino was killed Monday night and found dead with its horns missing, Kenya's
<a href="https://citizentv.co.ke/news/another-rhino-dead-in-nakuru-poachers-flee-with-horns-208356/" target="_blank">Citizen Digital</a> reported.</p><p>
Pursuit for the poachers is underway, KWS said.
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<span></span>"Our teams on the ground spent the night pursuing the #poachers and are continuing with the #operation," the authorities tweeted.
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</p><div id="ed553" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="S1YE7E1576663968"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1024241850650116096" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Our teams on the ground spent the night pursuing the #poachers and are continuing with the #operation. https://t.co/CZjUQAq6OS</div> — KWS (@KWS)<a href="https://twitter.com/kwskenya/statuses/1024241850650116096">1533033261.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Tourism minister Balala set up an independent inquiry team to investigate the circumstances of the deaths.
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"According to the Inquiry team, the cause of all the deaths was due to multiple stress syndrome intensified by salt poisoning and complicated by the following conditions: dehydration, starvation, proliferation of opportunistic bacteria in upper respiratory tract (Pasteurella species), gastric ulcers and gastritis," Balala said in a July 26
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MinistryOfTourismAndWildlifeKE/posts/1774612095967991" target="_blank">statement</a>.
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The statement continued: "The independent inquiry further showed there were areas of clear negligence that occurred post-translocation at the release site in Tsavo, especially in the holding BOMA at the sanctuary. These included poor co-ordination and communication among officers that were responsible for pre-translocation studies, including biomass assessments; environmental impact assessments and water quality assessments. The results of the water assessments were hardly considered before execution of the operation."
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The tourism ministry is facing intense public criticism over the rhino deaths. Balala suspended six KWS officers following the inquiry team report's and is facing calls for his own resignation.
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Black rhinos are under threat from poaching, habitat loss and political conflict. There are roughly 5,000 left on the planet. Kenya is home to about 750 of the remaining individuals.
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</p><div id="50ca0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="SCWOHN1576663968"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="920671897184063488" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Shocking Photo of Dehorned Black #Rhino Wins Top Award https://t.co/AzqoIWHK9V @NWF @WWF @AnimalPlanet @YEARSofLIVING @greenpeaceusa</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/920671897184063488">1508340260.0</a></blockquote></div>
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