Poachers exploit soft underbelly of private ranches

By JOB WERU

Poachers in the country have identified soft targets in their quest for quick bucks in this dangerous trade.

The criminals have identified loopholes in the security operations, which they continue to exploit to their advantage.

The rhino poachers particularly have identified private game sanctuaries as the soft targets perhaps due to their perceived lack of adequate security. The poachers have also not spared elephants in their hunt.

Ironically, retired and serving Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers and other members of the disciplined forces have been identified as the major threat to the wildlife.

Mountain Region Conservation area Assistant Director of KWS Mr Robert Mutugi Njue holds a gun recovered from a poacher who was killed recently as other security officers look on. [PHOTO: GEORGE MULALA]

The recent killing of a poacher and arrest of his colleague at the world famous Ol’Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia East District exposed the rotten side of some KWS officers and other disciplined forces. One of the poachers was found to have been a former KWS ranger who was highly trained in anti-poaching skills while his colleague was a serving army officer.

A sacked KWS officer identified as Sanko ole Kaparo was gunned down and a Carbine rifle loaded with nine rounds of ammunition of 5.5 mm calibre recovered.

Also recovered during the 10pm shootout was a pair of pliers, three spent cartridges, a mobile phone, suspected poisonous substance and a gunny bag.

The items were recovered from Kaparo. The captured suspect was identified as Hassan Heso Sabale from Moyale.

Raising alarm

KWS has since raised alarm over increased attacks in private conservancies, which is scaring the resident communities who participate in wildlife conservation and the private conservancy proprietors.

Mountain Region Conservation area Assistant Director of KWS, Mr Robert Mutugi Njue, while briefing journalists at the conservancy, which is home to the endangered black rhino and Northern White Rhinos, said the capture came after a month-long tracking of the suspects.

"The trio, including another suspect who escaped arrest, was believed to have shot and injured a rhino at Mt Kenya Conservancy, a private sanctuary on the slopes of Mt Kenya, last March.

"We have been tracking them using our intelligence in collaboration with the police and the community since the attack," said Njue.

Laikipia East OCPD Joshua Lutukai confirmed the slain poacher was sacked from the KWS and had also undergone an elite anti-poaching training that was introduced in the service during retired KWS Director David Western’s reign. Lutukai at the same time said Kaparo’s accomplice, who sustained serious gunshot wounds during the shootout with the KWS officers, is a military man.

"We have discovered that the suspect, identified as Hassan Heso, is a constabulary officer attached at 1 KR (One Kenya Rifles) base in Nanyuki," said Lutukai.

Poachers have in the last three years been targeting private conservancies, which are home to various endangered species of wildlife, especially the black rhinos. In 2009, 12 black rhinos (two per cent of Kenya black rhino population) and six Southern White rhinos (one and a half per cent of Kenya’s population) were killed by poachers. All the rhino poaching incidents were recorded in private ranches in Laikipia County where a total of 13 rhinos were killed.

Mugie Ranch in Laikipia West District lost three rhinos, Laikipia Nature Conservancy three, Solio Ranch five while Ol’Pejeta and Lewa Conservancy lost one each. Kenya has a population of 569 black rhinos, 361 white rhinos and four Northern White rhino species.The Northern White Rhinos were translocated from a zoo in Czech Republic last year to Ol’Pejeta Conservancy, while the Kenyan herd is the largest in the world.

And this year alone, the Mountain region, which covers Samburu, Laikipia, Aberdares and Mt Kenya areas, has lost four rhinos to poaching.

"We suspect they think we do not have able security operatives in private conservancies, but we want to tell Kenyans that KWS officers are deployed in every place where there are wildlife," said Njue. KWS is the custodian of all wildlife on behalf of Kenyans.

Njue noted that the poaching gangs are armed with high calibre semi-automatic weapons. And to counter the trend, KWS has invested in high-technology devices used in detecting and tracking poachers.

For instance, a month ago, KWS rangers and their General Service Unit (GSU) counterparts attached to Solio Ranch, also a private conservancy, with the use of Track Dot System arrested three suspects with forest produce at a village neighbouring the ranch. Track Dot System is used in tracking suspects.

Investing in technology

Njue says KWS has invested in the latest technology in tracking and monitoring animals and poachers, among them the use of GPS, satellite and aerial systems.

KWS Director Julius Kipng’etich said they intend to introduce sniffer dogs at the Mombasa Port as part of measures to curb the illegal shipping of wildlife trophies. He said he has requested the Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere to allow KWS rangers to patrol private ranches in Laikipia and Samburu.

Kenya is not the only country in the region where there has been increased poaching of rhinos. South Africa and Zimbabwe have similarly fallen victim to the escalating global rhino poaching.

In 2009, the two countries lost more than 250 rhinos, and the poaching is still escalating.

But leading conservationist and author Ms Kuki Gallmann says the illegal trade is suspected to be driven by the Asian demand for rhinoceros horns and the rising black market prices for ivory.

Kuki, who owns the Laikipia Nature Conservancy in Laikipia West District, says this is particularly attributed to the one-off permission granted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP14), at the 14th meeting of the Conference held in The Hague, Netherlands in June 2007.

CITES is an international agreement between governments, whose aim is to ensure that international trade in wild animals’ specimens and plants does not threaten their survival.

Kuki termed poaching effects in her ranch as dreadful. "In 2007, we lost 17 elephants, 26 in 2008, 64 elephants in 2009 and last year 17 were killed. Oddly, we recovered most of the tusks stolen last year," she said. "We lost one rhino in 2007, two in 2009 and two in 2010," she added.

During the Hague CITES meeting, parties approved a ‘one-off’ sale of 105,000 kilogrammes of ivory from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Targeted poaching

The sales took place in October/November 2008 and the ivory was shipped to China and Japan as approved importing countries in February 2009.

"Poaching is not limited to private estates. However, since we in Laikipia region have been successful in protecting endangered species, it is known by the traders that there is a large concentration of these in locations relatively easy to reach," she said explaining why poachers are targeting private ranches. Kuki insisted that only an intensive media campaign, introduction of environmental education in the education curriculum and imposing harsh penalties — which is only possible through passing of proper and updated legislations like the Wildlife Bill whose enactment into law is pending— can curb the poaching menace.

"We advocate for the updating of existing legislation, increased penalties not just for the poachers but mostly for the dealers, brokers and traders," she said.

The conservationist also advocated for introduction of specific wildlife courts and trained magistrates who are competent to deal specifically with wildlife offences.

"Arresting or killing a poacher makes zero difference since the amount of cash offered by the dealers is more enticing. There are many idle youths ready to risk being caught for that quick cash," she concluded.