ISHIRINI

She was found dying slowly, pregnant. Ishirini's pain and heartbreak are mine.

After discovering Edgar Rice Burroughs in grade school, I was captivated by the character he created, Tarzan of the Apes®. I aimed to beat my friend in our class reading contest, and did it by reading one book a night in that series. Afterward, I became obsessed with Africa. I wanted to see lions, elephants, and rhinos and dreamed of going there one day.

My dream came true on a trip to Tanzania in July 2011, and with three photo safari trips under my belt, I embarked on my most ambitious one in July 2023. Below are a few journal entries from my trip.

July 3, 2023 - Sunrise brightens the sky at the Rhino Room at Sweetwaters Serena Camp. The sun reflects off a large watering hole, and I'm amazed at how the wildlife here can sometimes live peacefully together in harmony.

Large and small meander through the watering hole in groups, each similar "neighborhood," grazing and drinking. I see a tall white stork-like bird with an ebony head and neck, the Sacred Ibis, wandering among the Egyptian geese. Thomson's gazelles, also called tommies, enter the scene from the left. Easily the fourth fastest land animal, they athletically bounce in high jumps and race across the plains. Waterbucks, impalas, hartebeest, and the magnificent moose-sized eland mingle quietly. As a group of antelopes drink their fill, a dazzle of endangered Grevy zebras saunter in.

Fascinated, I watch as each group seemingly know when their turn at the water is at an end. After the Z-dazzle disperses, gigantic Cape buffalo lumber slowly in. Their curved horns, known as the boss, meet at the center of their forehead in a bone shield.

I spot a lone rhino through my binoculars and point it out to those chatting and slurping their morning tea behind me. Glancing back, I see the buffalo run off as an elephant matriarch leads her family in and takes control of the pond and its shore. Watching how the animals maintain a natural order here is incredible.

July 4, 2023 - Our tour group is visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya today. While this is the largest black rhino sanctuary in eastern Africa, it also has rare white rhinos. All are kept under round-the-clock guards.

We first visit Baraka's home. Born at Ol Pejeta, this blind rhino lives in a 100-acre enclosure, kept apart from the others for his safety. The guide shares that he lost one eye in a fight and the other to a cataract. He is the Conservancy's current black-rhino ambassador.

Meandering off on my own, I find myself drawn to the cemetery. I don't know why. I should have stayed away, but I couldn't help myself.

As I walk, I examine the grave markers. Each has an inscription that shows the animal's sex, birth, and death, with a few noting the cause of death.

The first headstone is for Morani, a black rhino transferred here from the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic. His stone reads, "in memory of Morani, a black rhino like no other, May 6, 1974  - August 9, 2008." Both an icon and ambassador for his species, they named the Morani Information Centre after him. He helped raise awareness about the plight of black rhinos.

Sudan's marker is next. Also transferred from the Czech zoo, he was the world's last Northern White male rhino whose death taught the word about extinction. Suffering from age-related health issues and unable to stand up, he was euthanized at the age of 45 back in 2018. Curious, I asked our guide what their average life span was in the wild, and he replied, "50 years." Our guide then shared information about the work the Conservancy is currently exploring to bring them back. A recent success with the world's first IVF pregnancy in the southern white rhino, a closely-related subspecies, gives them hope.

JOB's stone said, "Semi-tame blind rhino, shot dead in rhino enclosure, both horns removed."

The stone that crushed my soul belonged to Ishirini.

Likely murdered with poison darts, she was twelve months pregnant. They found her writhing in pain, her horns chopped off. The inscription feels like a hard punch to my gut, and it takes everything in me not to fall to my knees and scream. I think of the agony she must have felt and the loss of a beautiful creature harming no one and carrying a baby within.

Two needless deaths.

***

Did you know rhino horns are made of keratin, the same as our fingernails? Although there is no scientific evidence that rhino horns have health benefits, demand is still high, and illegal poaching continues.

As I travel the world, I write stories about animals and the planet to help educate and inspire people. It's not enough to simply read a story like this and sympathize with the animals' plight. We each have a responsibility to educate ourselves and share a better way.

Copyright © 1/17/2025 by Andrea O. Corwin

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