The pancake tortoise, a distinctive member of the tortoise family, stands out for its unusually thin, flat, and flexible shell. Unlike other tortoises with solid structural shells, the pancake tortoise boasts a shell peppered with holes, making it lightweight and remarkably agile. This unique characteristic enables it to be the fastest among its tortoise counterparts.

By Bernard Gitau Over five decades since the last black rhino was exterminated by poachers in Laikipia North, the majestic animal is back with a bang. “Black rhinos were once common on Loisaba. The last known individual here was killed by poachers in the 1970s and fortunately or unfortunately it was named after my grandfather, Lotemere,” said Mathew Naipaturi, expressing his admiration and relief. Through the efforts of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Loisaba Conservancy, and the locals, a total of 21 black rhinos have been translocated in what is termed the biggest move in Kenya. “The octogenarian was among the locals who practiced conservation and was vocal against poaching especially after many rhinos were killed and only one was left,” Naipaturi narrated. Due to his effort to protect the remaining rhino, Naipaturi says some locals who were against his campaign named it Lotemere as a sarcastic way to mock him. With the 21 rhinos acclimatizing in their new habitat, Kenya’s effort to increase their numbers is on course with Loisaba being the 17th Rhino Sanctuary. “In the recent past, one of the main causes of mortality of rhinos has been territorial fights due to limited space in sanctuaries,” said Dr. Erustus Kanga, Director General of Kenya Wildlife Service, expressing his joy over the translocation effort. Loisaba Conservancy CEO Tom Silvester said the terrain is an ideal rhino habitation and it has established a sanctuary in an area of 104km2 that comprises around half of the conservancy’s 58,000 acres – with good security and low-profile fencing that will allow other species to move freely. “Loisaba received the 21 rhinos from Nairobi National Park, Ol Pejeta, and Lewa conservancies in an 18-day exercise executed by highly trained capture and veterinary experts drawn from KWS and its partners,” Silvester said. Kenya had 20,000 black rhinos in the 1970s before poachers decimated them for their horns, which were sold as decorative dagger handles in Arabia and medicines in the Far East. Since then, Kenya’s eastern black rhinos have made a remarkable comeback and today there are an estimated 1,004 individuals. Regarding black rhinoceros numbers, Kenya now ranks third after South Africa and Namibia. Kenya is a stronghold of the eastern subspecies, hosting approximately 80 percent of the entire world’s surviving population. Meanwhile, southern white rhinos continue to thrive in Kenya, having increased from 50 individuals imported from South Africa in the eighties and nineties to the current population of 971 individuals. Kenya is playing a critical role in efforts to save the northern white rhino from extinction, as it is host to the only remaining two females of the species left in the world. Kenya is partnering with the global community on this project, through the BioRescue project which is a consortium of local and international experts. Thirty embryos have been developed awaiting implantation into southern white rhino surrogate females.