Suspected poachers attack conservationist

By Boniface Thuku and Renson Mnyamwezi

A renowned wildlife conservationist is recuperating in hospital after suspected poachers attacked her conservancy.

Ms Kuki Gallmann, who owns the Laikipia Nature Conservancy, was attacked on Sunday evening by people posing as grazers.

Speaking to The Standard on telephone from Nanyuki Cottage Hospital, Kuki said the suspects might have been on a revenge mission after a poacher was shot dead three weeks ago.

The poachers were caught slaughtering a 30-year-old black rhino at the conservancy.

"We suspect they were avenging the death of one of their own who was shot by Game wardens after they killed our oldest black rhino we had nicknamed ‘Kamau’. They were grazing cattle in our area, but when we confronted them, they attacked us with broken poles," she said.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Wildlife Service has begun using sniffer dogs to track down poachers in the vast Tsavo ecosystem.