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Rhino transferred from Tanzania's Ngorongoro to Serengeti is dead: minister

Xinhua, December 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

The black rhino that mysteriously disappeared from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) in northern Tanzania died in August this year in its new sanctuary at the Singita-Grumeti Reserve on the Serengeti plains, a cabinet minister said on Friday.

Jumanne Maghembe, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, told Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa that when the rhino named John was transferred from Ngorongoro to Grumeti Reserve in December 2015 it had 26 calves.

Maghembe was briefing the Prime Minister on the disappearance of the rhino which was reportedly sold to Grumeti Reserve for 100,000 U.S. dollars under mysterious circumstances.

Maghembe said the rhino was removed from Ngorongoro to minimize what he described as a problem of inbreeding within the crater.

Maghembe also handed over to the prime minister the rhino's two horns weighing 3.6 kilograms and 2.3 kilograms, respectively.

On December 6, this year, the prime minister ordered relevant authorities to give him full report on how the rhino was moved from its sanctuary in Ngorongoro to the Serengeti's Singita-Grumeti Reserves located on the Serengeti plains.

The disappearance of the rhino was reported to the prime minister on Tuesday during his tour of the NCAA.

Majaliwa gave the officials two days to furnish him with information on details of the black rhino's sale along with an official report from a qualified wildlife veterinary officer to confirm whether the rhino had indeed died as reported by NCCA officials.

Majaliwa lashed out at both NCAA and Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) officials for allegedly colluding to sell the otherwise endangered wild animal.

According to the prime minister, the black rhino was corruptly sold at a price of 100,000 U.S. dollars with TANAPA officials cashing in 50,000 U.S. dollars as an initial deposit by the buyer.

The three NCAA officials he quizzed in particular over the issue were former NCAA chief ecologist Patrice Mattay, who is now working with TANAPA, Israel Naman and Cuthbert Lemanya. Endit