Story by Amos Rono and Gichuki Kabukuru
Between the months of April and July this
year, the Nairobi Animal Orphanage – Kenya's oldest
wildlife orphanage hosted two charming lions and a playful
cheetah cub. The trio, now famously known as the three musketeers,’
excited both the touring students and the wardens.
Mandera waria the cheeky, playful
cheetah cub, rescued in Mandera and air-lifted to Nairobi
came in first, then he was followed by the two other lion
cubs rescued from Tsavo East and Amboseli respectively.
According to Richard Obanda, Senior Warden
in charge of the Facility, “the three amazing cubs came
here in terrible condition. Having been abandoned at that
very critical time in their lives when they could not fend
for themselves, the three musketeers were sickish and scared.”
Explaining the procedure at Nairobi Animal
Orphanage, Mr. Obanda notes “after receiving an orphaned
animal at this facility, they first undergo a thorough medical
examination, followed by treatment where that is called for;
before entering into an appropriate feeding and rehabilitation
program.”
Depending on the success of the rehabilitation
program that an animal undergoes after being received at this
unique facility found at the heart of Nairobi, the orphaned
animals are thereafter released into the wild.
Mandera, the playful cheetah cub,
is now in Ol-Jogi, Nanyuki enroute to being release into the
wild again after his rehabilitation exercise was termed a
success. His two counterparts are still undergoing the program
before a decision about their fate is passed pending the outcome
of their recovery program.
“Some animals come here and just at
the look of them, you realize that they can never be released
to the wild again and these are the once that we keep in our
orphanage, are either seriously injured or too old to survive
in the jungle, many of these we keep for educational and aesthetic
purposes, and these now become the best conservation ambassadors,
welcoming presidents, kings and queens” a genial Obanda
explained.
And indeed, this very exciting facility
has in the past hosted Zambian President Keneth Kaunda, Jerry
Rawlings and Kufour of Ghana and Jica president Sadako Ogata
among other dignitaries.
Established in 1964 as a refuge and rehabilitation
center for wild animals found abandoned or injured throughout
Kenya, the unique facility records over 200,000 thousand visitors
every year.
“We have been able to successful treat
and release over five thousand different species since this
program was initiated 32 years-ago, and we are now in the
process of modernizing the facility or what in management
circles they term as Gemba Kaizen – continuous, improvement
to meet both the international standards and also afford the
animals favorable and conducive environment now that to some
of them, this is their retirement home,” a candid Obanda
intimated.
Currently this important educational and
training facility, which is housed, in Kenya’s oldest
Park and the only wildlife protected area in a capital city
in the world – Nairobi National
Park, is said to be home to twenty four different animals
and bird species.
“From the endangered and elusive Sykes
monkey, Sokoke and the elusive Serval cat, a Jackal, the Patas
monkey, Cheetahs, and Lions to the Crowned Crane and the Spot
Nosed Guenons, the 2ha. wildlife half-way home, serves as
a very important facility to both the injured and abandoned
wildlife and to the curios and mindful public,” Obanda
surmised.
Visit this amazing wildlife rehabilitation
facility and we bet you! You will never forget the experience!!!
