WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE RUN OVER BY A RHINO
Dramatic new series Secret Safari, narrated by Fleabag’s Andrew Scott, takes you out on patrol with the staff at a Kenyan nature reserve – who reveal some very hairy moments...
Not many people can claim to have been run over by a rhinoceros and survived, but Stephen Ngulu can. He’s the vet at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Kenya, where dozens of species live in 363 square kilometres of protected wilderness.
He nearly died after wearing the wrong colour trousers into the bush to check on a limping black rhino. ‘The rangers and I got to within 20 metres, and although rhinos have poor vision they can pick you out when you’re wearing bright clothes,’ explains Stephen. ‘Then she picked up the scent and decided to come for me...’
Stephen panicked and made a run for it... and fell over. ‘But that saved my life,’ he says with a wry chuckle. ‘It was ready to put its horn in my back but ran over my knee instead and kept going. I only had minor injuries to the muscle.’
It’s one of many colourful tales that the staff of Ol Pejeta tell in the new Channel 4 wildlife series Secret Safari: Into The Wild. Narrated by Fleabag’s Hot Priest, Dubliner Andrew Scott, it follows the life-or-death dramas that unfold daily at Ol Pejeta, where the animals live with minimal human contact. Incidentally, Ol Pejeta is where Earth’s last two northern
RANGERS PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM’S WAY TO MONITOR THE ANIMALS
white rhinos live. They’re both female, and experts there are trying to find a way to prevent the species’ extinction.
The area has 13,000 animals, but Stephen is the only vet – as far as possible, nature is left to take its course. ‘It’s not like a zoo,’ he explains. ‘Many things are settled by nature and it’s not mandatory that we intervene. We focus on endangered or threatened species like elephants, wild dogs and leopards. If they’re hurt, then it is mandatory to intervene.’
What Secret Safari does differently to many wildlife series is film Ol Pejeta’s more than 150 rangers as they put themselves in harm’s way to monitor the animals. ‘My work is highly skilled, but the rangers are priceless,’ says Stephen. ‘You cannot learn that kind of job in school – you need passion, wit and experience to understand the animals.’ He admits his run-in with the rhino happened because he failed to follow the lead of the rangers.
The first episode of the six-part series features stories that will tug at the heartstrings. Ol Pejeta is home to more than 80 lions, but its Eastern Pride suffers a blow when second-in-command Sekela, an elderly female, is found gravely injured. She was likely attacked by a male from another pride, and her death could spell disaster because she is pivotal to her pride’s success at hunting. Lions are a threatened species and so Stephen was called to examine her horrific injuries.
‘Some of her toe bones were sticking out, she had missing claws and her tail had been bitten,’ he says. ‘Her injuries were so severe, rangers were in tears. I decided she was in too much pain and I was considering euthanasia.’
But by law Stephen had to consult the vet at the Kenya Wildlife Service. ‘He said, “Lions are very resilient,” and advised me to clean her wounds and give her antibiotics and painkillers. Once we woke her up she started moving, and that was it. I never had to treat her again and she is still alive today.’
But lions are also fearsome predators, and one male in particular has been attacking rhino calves.
The rangers are considering moving him to another part of the reserve.
They’re particularly worried about black rhino mum Lola and her calf Lottie, because Lola had already lost a calf, Jax, and she might not be able to protect Lottie. ‘Jax was killed by a bull that wanted to mate with Lola,’ explains assistant park warden Abraham Njenga. ‘Animals want to eliminate any sort of competition and because Lola had a small calf to take care of, Jax was in the way.’
Black rhinos produce only one
OFTEN WE ARE PART OF DRAMATIC MOMENTS – IT’S JUST LIKE JURASSIC PARK
calf every three or so years and it’s imperative every life is preserved, explains Abraham. ‘They are critically endangered – it’s a species that has been hammered over the years,’ he says. ‘If we can do something for them now, we will avoid what is happening to the northern whites.
‘They are remarkable creatures. I have seen a pride of nine lions try to attack a calf, and the mother fought all the lions until they were about to bring her down. She was saying, “I’d rather die than leave my calf.” I admired her. In the end, we scared away the lions.’
Meanwhile, the cycle of life goes on as the staff work tirelessly to keep the animals safe. ‘So often we’re part of dramatic moments – it’s like Jurassic Park,’ laughs Stephen. ‘You can’t predict what will happen. The animals write the script for you.’
Vicki Power Secret Safari: Into The Wild, Tuesday, 8pm, Channel 4. See olpejetaconservancy.org/secretsafari