OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY 0°01’39.7”N 36°51’49.7”E
LARA JACKSON
documenting the story of najin and fatu , the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, was one of the most profound moments of my life. The slow dwindle and decline of this subspecies is a heartbreaking reminder of the destruction that human activities are causing across the world. It’s one thing to hear that a species has gone extinct, or to know that we’re pushing many species to extinction. It’s entirely another thing to observe a subspecies where just two individuals are left. It’s incredibly emotional to witness an animal on the imminent pathway to extinction. It begs the question: Are you, are we, honestly okay to sit back and let that happen to thousands of other species? Are we happy to watch other animals, other wildlife, whole ecosystems, disappear from our planet? as the golden rays of the rising sun dance through the acacia trees, I stand tall, an emblem of a vanishing era. I am Najin, one of the last northern white rhinos left on Earth, a subspecies teetering on the edge of extinction. The glorious warmth upon my weathered skin reminds me of the days when we roamed freely across the vast expanse of Africa. Now, only silence prevails. Under the shadow of Mount Kenya, I bear witness to the fading beauty of a world once magnificent with the presence of my species. It never used to be this way. Once, we lived in harmony with your kind, until their eyes turned to greed and their hearts hardened to rock. This harmony lies shattered at your feet. The ghosts of my ancestors echo on the breeze, whispering in my ear that our horns are the reason you kill us. But this I cannot understand, for why would you need our horns when your hair and fingernails are made from the same material? Although you may believe such far-fetched tales of miracle cures, we have no more power in our horn than you do in that little toe of yours. We were once revered as majestic guardians of the wilderness. Now, I stand side- by-side with my daughter, burdened by the weight of our solitude. We are relics of a time long gone, our existence becoming a cautionary tale to highlight the plight of endangered species worldwide. The enduring earth beneath my feet reminds me of the resilience of my kind. With every breath, I drink in the beautiful web of life and hear the cacophony of nature surrounding me. In the sun’s golden embrace, we stand resolute, a living testament to the beauty and fragility of life. In the face of adversity, we embody the strength of our species, a symbol of resilience in the darkest of times. Because although our kind have dwindled in number, the spirit of the northern white rhino will forever remain etched in the fabric of this Earth. We live in hope that one day soon, your kind will realise the error of their ways and learn to value every living being. I’m sure that our deaths will inspire a new generation to cherish and protect the natural world. It will be too late for my daughter and I, but I hope it will not be too late for others.
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MOTHER VOLUME TWO
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