Joy as baby rhino is born in Meru

By Peter Ochieng

The week has started with some exciting news! A baby rhino has been born at the Meru National Park, Meru County.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) while sharing the good news said wildlife stakeholders can't wait to see the baby rhino grow and thrive in the national habitat.

"The birth of this rhino symbolizes hope for the future and highlights our mission to safeguard Kenya’s wildlife. Join us in celebrating this wonderful moment!"

"A heartfelt thanks to rangers David Komu, Alex Lealmusia, Eric Mwandawiro and the entire rhino unit for their vigilance and dedication in monitoring our wildlife. Their efforts play a crucial role in our ongoing commitment to rhino conservation and the protection of endangered species," KWS stated.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), rhinos once roamed many places throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, which is no longer the case now as they face extinction.

The organization says that at the beginning of the 20th century, 500,000 rhinos roamed Africa and Asia.

By 1970, rhino numbers dropped to 70,000, and today, around 27,000 rhinos remain in the wild.

"Very few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves due to persistent poaching and habitat loss over many decades. Three species of rhino—black, Javan, and Sumatran—are critically endangered," adds the organization.

In Africa, southern white rhinos, once thought to be extinct, now thrive in protected sanctuaries and are classified as near threatened.

However, the western black rhino and northern white rhinos have recently become extinct in the wild.

The only two remaining northern white rhino are kept under 24-hour guard in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Kenya.

Black rhinos have doubled in number over the past two decades from their low point of fewer than 2,500.