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 north-western section of the Maasai Mara reserve.
KWS spokesman Paul Gathitu said the reserve is managed by Mara Conservancy on behalf of Narok County, while KWS provides oversight and technical support on wildlife management.
According to Gathitu, rangers first found the carcass of a male rhino named Sairowua during routine patrols on November 12. He said the animal was one of the oldest in the conservancy and had been seen in good health only days earlier.
The KWS mobile veterinary unit was called in to carry out a post-mortem, but the carcass was already badly decomposed and heavily scavenged. Gathitu said the soft tissue and internal organs were missing, leaving only skin and bones.
He said no injuries were visible on the remaining body parts and the teeth were worn, which is often associated with old age. The horns were still present but detached from the body. Because of the level of decomposition, the cause of death could not be established. Gathitu added that the rhino was about 37 years old and may have died from natural causes linked to age. Skin tissue was collected for DNA analysis and banking, but no viable samples were available for laboratory testing.
On November 16, a second carcass was found about four kilometres from the first. Gathitu identified it as a female black rhino named 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. Gathitu said the rhino was pregnant with a male foetus estimated at eight months, and the foetus was fresh and likely died soon after the mother.
Sections of the liver and intestines, together with intestinal contents, were collected and sent to the Government Chemist. Duplicate samples were also forwarded to the University of Nairobi veterinary school. Environmental samples from shared areas, including a salt lick, were collected and submitted to the Government Chemist as well.
After the two carcasses were discovered, KWS deployed personnel with aerial support to carry out a wider search and confirm the status of rhinos in the area. During that operation, teams found the carcass of a young male rhino named Kantai in the afternoon of November 19, not far from the mother’s carcass.
Gathitu said the animal had not been ear-notched and therefore had no identification number. A team from the KWS headquarters veterinary department later joined the resident veterinarian to perform an autopsy and collect samples.
KWS said it is working with the Narok County government to strengthen round-the-clock monitoring of the remaining rhinos in the Mara Triangle.
