In the quiet presence of a blind rhino, generations of visitors found a deeper connection to Kenya's wild heritage.
Three years ago, I visited Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia as part of a whirlwind tour of the region.
The 90,000-acre conservancy is known for pioneering the conservation of iconic species and hosts one of the largest populations of black rhinos in the country.
It is also home to the two remaining northern white rhinos that carry the hope of resuscitating the genes of the almost extinct species. It is also in Ol Pejeta that the only chimpanzee sanctuary in the country, hosting the primates rescued from conflict areas on the continent, is found.
During my visit, I met Baraka, one of Kenya's most visited rhinos. Blind for nearly 17 years after losing both eyes, he died on Sunday at 31.
His death is more than the loss of a rhino; Baraka was a bridge between people and conservation, allowing thousands to experience wildlife up close and becoming a symbol of Kenya's natural heritage.
"For many, meeting Baraka transformed conservation from something distant into something they could see, understand and care about," read a message from Ol Pejeta to global conservationists. "He reminded us that conservation is about more than numbers and populations. Every rhino is an individual, with its own character, history and needs."
Online, many people from different parts of the world continue to write about their encounters with Baraka, penning "tributes" as if they were mourning a dear departed friend. These include Kimberly Hulden Morse, who says she met Baraka in 2014. "People don't believe me when I say I was able to pet a black rhino," she writes.
Emma Thompson says Baraka was not only a symbol of strength and resilience but also of dedication to conservation.
"I am shedding a tear as I remember my time with him and his keepers," she writes.
Born at Ol Pejeta on November 20, 1994, Baraka was among the first rhinos born at the conservancy. He grew into a formidable black rhino bull until tragedy struck at 14, when blindness made survival in the wild difficult, leaving him vulnerable to hunger and attacks from other animals.
"Rather than let him struggle, our team moved Baraka into a protected 100-acre enclosure, where he could receive the round-the-clock care and security he needed," states Ol Pejeta.
Like the two northern white rhinos that receive strict surveillance from dedicated keepers, Baraka came under the care of dedicated rangers such as James Mwenda, who recounts the rhino's role as a conservation ambassador.
"For many visitors, he was the first black rhino they ever encountered. His story allowed people to see beyond the animal [but] understand the challenges facing rhinos and why protecting them matters," he says.
Still, few have been touched by Baraka's death as much as Peter Esogon, the ranger who helped him settle down in his new home while adapting to the constant stream of visitors. Esogon knew the moment Baraka slept or woke up and Baraka came to trust his voice.
"I was with him till the moment he died," says Esogon, who is too emotional to fully comprehend the events of the last few days. "I was the last man to check if he was sleeping or had woken up. Any time he heard my voice, he would come rushing to where the voice was."
Speaking to Esogon while he was escorting guests around the vast conservancy, he spoke of Baraka as one would about a dear human companion he will no longer see, hear, or touch. We asked him what he will miss most about Baraka.
"All this week, whenever I get to where he used to sleep, or where you people came to feed him and I can't find him, I am devastated," he says. "After breakfast, that was where I would go first, ensure he slept well and help him get his daily mud bath."
And because Baraka could not find food on his own, the keepers ensured he got his daily ration of food, all 60 kilogrammes daily.
According to the conservancy, a postmortem examination will be done on Baraka by Ol Pejeta's and KWS's veterinary teams to determine the cause of his death. Like other dead rhinos in Ol Pejeta, Baraka will perhaps be buried at the rhino cemetery within the conservancy.