 Reference Base  Amboseli - unique and wonderful game reserve full of anim... |
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Taberer, W.H.M., 1959. Amboseli - unique and wonderful game reserve full of animal personalities. Wild Life, Nairobi 1 (4): 16-19, 26, fig. 1
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| Location: |
Africa - Eastern Africa - Kenya |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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special rhino personalities. Mr. `Cutty' was the first of the rhino to get accustomed to cars and settle down. Always fighting with others his cuts and bruises were responsible for his nickname. He too is no longer with us. `Tukai' was a near full grown rhino who, quite unconcerned about the noises of the camp, took up his quarters in front of the lodge. He excelled the day Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret came to stay at Amboseli by standing in full view of the royal party just beyond the garden fence. Unfortunately he fell to the lions and was eaten after he was killed in a remarkable battle by the two full grown sons of Kania.
`Ndundu', `Mjinga', and `Pixie' are all rhino with certain characteristics and about whom there is a story; and `Sinya' the lioness who, because she was misbehaving, had to be trapped and was released after being held six days.
Those are just a few of the better known personalities; there are others, but of them all `No. 1' and `No. 2' the two old rhinos with enormously long horns and better known to visitors as `Gladys' and `Gertie' must be recognised as the two most photographed and spectacular animals in the Reserve. . These two fabulous creatures carried longer front horns than any other rhino known to be living and it is quite possible that both at one time or the other bettered the world record for a black rhinoceros.
They were christened Nos. 1 and 2. by the rangers at Ol Tukai. Gladys by virtue of having the longer horn by several inches was No. 1. Unfortunately in 1955 she lost nearly 18 inches off the tip so Gertie took over pride of place as her horn was now the longer, though the Rangers continued to, and still do, call her number two. After this sad accident Gertie become the most sought after animal in Amboseli. Almost every visitor to Ol Tukai lodge would on arrival enquire of her whereabouts and would depart with a happy sense of having seen her or captured her picture or perhaps with a feeling that the trip, was not after all, quite complete as Gertie was in a mood and would not show herself.
Gertie's behaviour patterns
With all this attention Gertic became so tame that she would lie in a dust bath with her offspring and allow several cars at a time to approach within 30 feet and not bother to get up and often just continue to sleep. There have been incidents: when she refuses to move some unkind visitor, wanting action in his pictures, may deliberately drive his vehicle at her and on such occasions she will take her calf off and disappear into the bush to sulk for several days and not be seen. Such behaviour is as good as a report to us that there is,: or has been, a hooligan in the area who has disturbed her, as she seldom otherwise hides herself except when calving or mating.
I first saw Gertie in 1947; she was then living round the Ol Toroto water holes, in the vicinity of Kitirua and some 7 miles from her present habitat. She was running with a 2-2 ? year old calf at the time and was most aggressive, practically unapproachable in a vehicle; she would either charge on sight or disappear in a flash. Gladys too was in the same area and the two would often be together. Gradually as the wells in the outlying areas began to dry up and more and more Masai brought their cattle in to the much needed waters of Kitirua the two old girls with a number of other rhino moved away and took up their headquarters near Observation Hill in which area they are now living and where they came in more frequent contact with motor cars and human noises. At first they were very shy and nervous and would either charge or hide but after a couple of years had settled down realising that the noisy monsters on four wheels presented no danger.
It was in 1953 that Gertie settled in at her new home bringing with her a newly born bull calf. This little oddity had only half a tail, and no ears at all, and soon received the name of `Pixie'. The two presented a rare sight. The mother with the incredibly long horn and the curious little son with just two holes where the ears should be. They were the real show piece of Amboseli and as a result took longer to settle down on account of being so much in demand. However, once they realised there was nothing to fear they became the tamest and most tolerant of all.
There was great consternation when at the end of April, 1956, Gertie suddenly disappeared leaving behind a forlorn Pixie who was then only 3 ? years old. Gladys and family took the little Chap over and allowed him to join them. However, only two weeks later and amidst great relief and excitement Gertie suddenly reappeared and was seen proudly displaying to a party of six others, including Gladys, a tiny and timid but nevertheless complete female calf. Pixie was allowed to join his wee sister and the three roamed together for two years.
On March 17th, 1958, Gertie mated with a bull strange to the area. Fortunately the event was witnessed by a party of visitors so we were able to keep a record of the date. March 27th 1959 was a sad day. Gertie and her calf had been seen at midday in a wallow; she was again seen at 4.30 p.m. that afternoon but minus about a foot of her wonderful horn. Between these two times she went to the swamp for a drink returning to the same wallow, and though we searched both ways along her tracks and for several days dug round the wallows with a tractor, and by hand, we never found the tip. Although this was a great loss we had expected it to happen as the end was wearing very thin through dragging when she was feeding. low and no matter in what position she was lying the tip was always resting on the ground. Poor girl she did look odd, but only four weeks later she was to look even odder.
About 18 months ago the swamp levels suddenly began to rise and spilled over to start the Semak River flowing again. This additional water had attracted a number of new males to the area and in an encounter with one of these irascible gentlemen Gertie lost the remainder of that beautiful front horn which broke off right at the roots. This was indeed a major tragedy. She was seen a day after the battle bleeding profusely from the hole where the horn had been.
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