Kenya Wildlife Service is investigating the deaths of three black rhinos in the Mara Triangle after carcasses were found between November 12 and November 19 in the Maasai Mara reserve.
KWS spokesman Paul Gathitu said the area is managed by Mara Conservancy on behalf of Narok County, while the wildlife agency provides oversight and technical support.
According to Gathitu, rangers first found the carcass of a male rhino known as Sairowua during routine patrols on November 12. He said the animal was among the oldest in the conservancy and had appeared healthy a few days earlier.
The KWS mobile veterinary unit was called in for a post-mortem, but the carcass was already badly decomposed and scavenged. Gathitu said the soft tissues and internal organs were missing, leaving only skin and bones.
He said there were no visible injuries on the remaining parts and that the teeth were worn out, a sign usually linked to old age. At 37 years, he said the rhino may have died from natural causes. Skin tissue was collected for DNA analysis and banking, but there were no viable samples for laboratory testing.
A second carcass was found on November 16, about four kilometres from the first. Gathitu identified it as a female black rhino called Naiteru.
He said the carcass was partly scavenged and estimated to be two days old. No external injuries were seen, but the scene showed signs of a struggle before death. The skull, brain and other organs appeared normal. The rhino was also pregnant, carrying a male foetus estimated at eight months, which he said was fresh and may have died shortly after the mother.
Samples from the liver, intestines and intestinal contents were sent to the Government Chemist, with duplicate samples forwarded to the University of Nairobi veterinary school. Environmental samples from a salt lick used by the rhinos were also collected and submitted to the Government Chemist.
After the two deaths were reported, aerial and ground teams were deployed to carry out a wider search and confirm the status of rhinos in the area. During that operation, a young male rhino known as Kantai was found on November 19 near the mother’s carcass. Gathitu said the animal had not been ear-notched and therefore had no identification number.
A team from KWS headquarters veterinary department joined the resident veterinarian to conduct an autopsy and collect samples. KWS said it is working with the Narok County government to step up round-the-clock monitoring of the remaining rhinos.
