Rhinos with famous names

Arusha. In recent days there has been an increase in the number of people requesting that rhinos born in Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) be named after them after the names of Faru John and Fausta fascinated many.

Some rhinos have been named after National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai, former Nzega MP Lucas Seleli and retired Ngorongoro MP Saning’o Ole Telele, who were members of the NCAA board.

Salma the rhino also took the name of former First Lady Salma Kikwete, the wife of former president Jakaya Kikwete. Salma, who is a nominated MP, used to visit the NCAA.

NCAA head conservationist, Dr Freddy Manongi, said this when speaking about their strategies of promoting tourism through the media and one of the ways of enabling local people and foreign guests to know about the tourist attractions in the country.

Without disclosing the number of people who have requested for the NCAA rhinos to be named after them, Manongi said it was rising as there were public figures desiring that rhinos born within Ngorongoro be named after them.

“We are receiving a number of requests.....but it is costly to preserve wild animals, especially those of the rhino species because of their importance. As an authority we are again going through the policy of adopting names from those interested so that they can contribute to the cost of conservation,” said Dr Manongi.

A reliable source said that due to the high number of requests, a new recommended policy required that a person requesting for his or her name to be given to a rhino must have made huge contributions towards conservation activities and be named posthumously.

Another recommendation is that anyone wishing his/her name to be given to a rhino they will have to make a special contribution that will be used to develop conservation services for the rhinos and this comes after John and Fausta the rhinos becoming more famous among many people, especially leaders when they hear rhinos are named after them.

On the issue of Fausta the rhino (54) that is thought to be the oldest in the world and whose special den has been constructed to avoid being attacked by diseases because of its old-age, he said for now its health had improved and that it would keep being cared for.

Fausta the rhino that is supposed to spend Sh760 million annually for purchasing its food, which is a kind of fodder called Lusini uses 250 bundles of food after every four months and to view the rhino one needs to have a special permit.

Salma the rhino

Dr Manongi says they are intending to build another den to keep Salma the rhino, who, he claims, is ‘lazy’ as she is not careful of looking after her cubs whenever she gives birth because those cubs end up being eaten by hyenas.

“She has given birth four times and her cubs have been eaten by hyenas because of her laziness. However, we are closely making a follow-up on her so that when she is nearing to give birth we keep her in a den because currently she is pregnant. When she gives birth and her cubs can fend for themselves in the wilderness, we will free those cubs,” said Dr Manongi

He added that the Ngorongoro Crater Is one of the few areas in the world in which rhinos could be seen in an open space area compared to other areas, where they are kept in their dens to protect them from rustlers.