Suspects arrested after black rhino is killed at Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Embu: Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers have arrested two suspected poachers and impounded two horns which were plucked from a female rhino that was on Tuesday dawn killed at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County.

The poachers were arrested Thursday following a sting operation mounted by KWS and police at Kiritiri area near Mwea in Embu County.

The arrest occurred a day after two of their accomplices-who were arrested at the conservancy immediately after the rhino was killed- were arraigned before Nanyuki Principal Magistrate, Waititu Gichimu and denied conspiring to commit a felony of killing an animal with intentions of stealing its horns.

The accused also denied a second count of killing a black rhinocerous and stealing its horns valued at Sh6 million.

The accused were remanded in police custody after the prosecution told the court that investigations were not yet completed.

The prosecution claimed they needed more time for further investigations, and that the suspects had information concerning their accomplices.

The police noted that the duo was likely to interfere with the recovery of the exhibits, prompting the court to order that they be remanded, pending a mention on March 2.

And Thursday, Mountain Region Head of Conservancy Mr Aggrey Maumo told The Standard that KWS officers and other security agents responded to an alarm raised by the Conservancy on Tuesday dawn and arrested the two, while two others escaped.

"The runaway poachers fled with two horns which they plucked from the female rhino, but we mounted a massive search and tracked them down at Kiritiri in Embu County, more than 160 kilometres away," said Maumo.

Maumo said it is believed that the poachers poisoned the rhino.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy Communication Manager Ms Elodie Sampere said in a statement, that the female rhino was pregnant at the time of its killing.

"She was about 12 months pregnant and had a two-year-old calf which was spotted alone and uninjured in the conservancy a few hours later. The calf is now being closely monitored by our team and is hoped will reunite with other black rhinos in Ol Pejeta," said Sampere.

Sampere noted in her statement that the attack is the first rhino loss on Ol Pejeta this year since a December 2015 raid.

Kenya has approximately 650 black rhinos left, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies as critically endangered.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is also home to the only three surviving and critically endangered Northern White rhinos.

The fourth Northern White Rhino was reported dead at a zoo in Czech Republic in July last year.