The Sunday News
THE story of Cecil the Hwange lion that was killed a few weeks ago by an American hunter, dentist Walter Palmer, has received worldwide condemnation and coverage and most Zimbabweans have not stopped asking who really is this Cecil.
While it is just a lion to many Zimbabweans, it has emerged that the country is full of animals which have been given names and are guarded or tracked closely by some players in the conservancy industry both locally and internationally.
One such animal is eight-year-old Tatenda, a rhino which, like Cecil probably many locals are not even aware of or that it carries such a name associated with human beings.
Orphaned at the age of six weeks after three adult black rhino and an unborn calf were shot and killed in their bomas by poachers, it has emerged that Tatenda previously known as Tamba due to his playful nature is one of Zimbabwe’s iconic animals.
Like human beings whose names may mean something, tatenda is a Shona word for thank you.
The rhino which is now based at Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation in Marondera was given that name as a way of saying thank you for saving it from the poachers.
Relating the story of Tatenda’s survival, Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation official Mrs Candice Devenish said Tatenda who was born on 20 September 2007 to mother DJ and father Sprinter as part of an intensive black rhino breeding programme, was found under a pile of hay smothered in his mother’s blood after the tragic shooting, close to death through shock.
“He was so small and now, so alone. His little call was feeble and pleading for his mum to come to his side as she always did. DJ was a perfect mum and now she was dead. His confusion and helplessness brought the terrible tragedy home to us all with a hard smack.
“Initially we were worried that this tiny baby may not survive the trauma of this experience,” she said.
According to Mrs Devenish Tatenda represents a bright and hopeful future of conservation in Zimbabwe and within him, he holds vital genes that will ensure that generations of Zimbabweans to come can possibly enjoy a future of this species if well protected.
Tatenda, and the rest of the rhino under the care of Imire are monitored by armed and highly trained guards 24 hours of the day as well as being dehorned every two years in order to remove the horn that poachers value.
“An icon of his species Tatenda provides endless joy and education to all visitors who come to meet him.”
For Imire, Tatenda has come to symbolise a positive approach towards the survival of all wildlife species, community projects and educational programmes.
“We continue working on our dream of one day returning the black rhinos of Zimbabwe back to the Zambezi Valley where they rightfully belong,” Candice said.
Although most Zimbabweans may not be familiar with the story of Tatenda, he is apparently an international celebrity whose story rocketed around the world and made headlines in foreign media.
“People called, visited, emailed and wrote to us from every country imaginable to pass on their respects for the loss of this already endangered species and to offer help to Tatenda.”
The life and journey of Tatenda is also captured in a documentary covered by Animal Planet titled There is a Rhino in my House.
This documentary explores the heartwarming story of John and Judy Travers, a Zimbabwean couple, at the Imire Safari Ranch, who have devoted their lives to saving from extinction one of the rarest mammals on Earth.
In February 2013, Tatenda was named rhino of the week.
Hunted almost to extinction, the black rhino is in dire need of conservation efforts worldwide, largely thanks to demand from Asian countries for their horns, believed to have curative properties. Destruction of their habitat has also caused a decline in the population with only around 350-450 believed to remain in Zimbabwe, mostly on private reserves.
And maybe like Cecil the Lion, it will take a tragedy for the whole country to appreciate that those animals which some see and which some have never seen actually have names and are worshipped in some circles.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is working on compiling a list of the country’s iconic animals in its 40 national parks.
The authority’s spokesperson Mrs Caroline Washaya Moyo said the process was already under way although she did not specify how long it would take to have the list.
