Lever, C., 1990. Lake Nakuru black rhinoceros sanctuary. Oryx 24 (2): 90-94, figs. 1-4, map 1
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| Location: |
Africa - Eastern Africa - Kenya |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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With financial contributions from private individuals and other conservation organizations, generous donations of materials and services from elsewhere, and ?300,000 provided by the Rhino Rescue Charitable Appeal Trust, work was begun on enclosing the 200-sq-km park surrounding the lake and the lake itself. A 74-km-long, 3-m-high, 12-stranded electrified fence was built, consisting of 11,038 wooden posts, many driven into stony ground, and 888 km of high-tensile steel wire strung through 33,114 electrical insulators. Every 15 km there is a manned guard post equipped with automatic anti-tamper alarms, solar panels to provide electrical power, and radio communications. Every alternate wire on the fence is electrified; the 700 non-lethal volts they provide have proved enough to deter intruders and to keep rhinos within the sanctuary, but are not sufficient to prevent olive baboons Papio anubis, who have learned how to avoid the electrified wires, from climbing over the fence.
Bulldozers have been used to create a firebreak along the fence outside the sanctuary and a maintenance road on the inside. Within the sanctuary a further 60 km of patrol tracks and bridges have been driven through the bush to provide access for mobile patrols. Each patrol has been equipped with a radio for communication with the Trust's headquarters, comprising the administrator's house, stores, maintenance facilities, a radio room and an office. Nearby are the holding pens, where the rhinos are acclimatized on their arrival at Nakuru before being released into the wild, and a release ramp.
Three rivers feed Lake Nakuru, which has no outlet, but they run only for some three months a year, thus making the water development aspect of the project of great importance. With financial assistance from other conservation groups, natural waterholes in the sanctuary have been enlarged, deep boreholes sunk and piped water laid on to drinking troughs. Rhino Rescue has also helped to finance the construction of two 12-million-galIon dams, using machinery supplied by the Kenyan Government under the supervision of the West German Water Development Agency. Surveys of the park's volcanic soil, which is interspersed with alkaloid deposits, have revealed deficiencies in copper and cobalt; this has been remedied by the introduction of appropriate licks.
On a visit to Nakuru in March 1989 I was able to see the Trust operating at first hand. The value of the firebreak outside the perimeter fence was shown to good effect when it, and the combined fire-fighting ability of the Trust's personnel and the park's staff, alone prevented the spread into the sanctuary of a dangerous bush fire from the neighbouring estate of Lord Delamere. Camping in the park at the time was a party of young people of several nationalities from Operation Raleigh, and a detachment from the band of the Grenadier Guards, both of whom, under the direction of a corporal from the Royal Engineers, were rendering sterling service to the Trust by helping to construct a bridge over a deep ravine.
Conservation alone, however, is not enough. To ensure the ultimate success of any project, people, and especially children, must be taught to appreciate the value and importance to them of wildlife and natural habitats. To this end, Rhino Rescue is developing its own education programme. This began with talks to school children visiting Nakuru; these proved so popular that a four-wheel-drive vehicle fitted a television screen will shortly be acquired which will enable the Trust to visit local schools and show films about African wildlife. Later a generator will be purchased, thus allowing unit to travel further afield and give film shows to outlying schools.
The Trust has undertaken to fund the major part of the running costs of the sanctuary (estimated to total around ?75,000 per annum) for an initial period of 3 years. It has installed its own administrator to protect and administer its investment, and to liaise with the authorities.
In the second phase of its Appeal, Rhino Rescue is aiming to raise a capital fund of ?750,000, the income from which would enable the Trust to fund the Nakuru sanctuary's annual running costs indefinitely.
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Lake Nakuru black rhinoceros sanctuary
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