Baraka – A Story of Resilience
Ol Pejeta Conservancy needs no introduction to people who live in this part of the world.
‘Innovative, tangible, sustainable conservation for wildlife and people’ is at the core of their passion. Starting from a working cattle ranch in colonial Kenya to being the seat of conservation innovation, there are endless lessons to learn from their determination and drive towards sustainability. Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, and home to two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos. The story of conservation is not just amazing but immensely inspirational.
Reasons to visit Ol Pejeta are many. Exotic animals, the rugged and pristine beauty of the Savanna grasslands, wondrous experience where you watch animals drinking from watering holes. It’s an experience to remember for an entire lifetime. But what stole our hearts apart from the game drives was the amazing work being done for rhinos. We were honoured to meet…and feed…the famous Baraka. It’s not every day that you get to meet and greet a blind black rhino. He lost an eye to a fight and the other to a disease. He has been blind for one and a half decades now and has all his needs met by the wonderful people at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. A creature of the wild and one of the Big Five, being so gentle is unbelievable! A big black rhino actually feeding from your hands is a hugely humbling experience! If ever there could be a reason to come visit Ol Pejeta, it would be beyond game drives and the wilderness. The care, compassion and sheer dedication of humans towards the wild makes the Kenya story so meaningful.
Baraka belongs to the wild. His instincts are that of one of the Big Five. Not only does he lovingly feed from the hands of strangers who he cannot even see, his temperament is so calm! Exactly how much effort would it take for Baraka to give his unseen feeders a mild push! On 8th June 2023, Baraka turned twenty-six. As says their Facebook page ‘26 years old today Baraka our beloved blind black rhino has become a fan favourite here at Ol Pejeta and continues to be a fantastic ambassador for his species and truly epitomises their resilience.’
Containing your true pristine power and adapting to totally different circumstances with dignity is one thing I would plead that we all learn from Baraka. A grand black male rhino typically can weigh upto 1400kg. Imagine what a mild nudge to a human can do! Rhinos, with this mammoth weight, can run at the speed of 50 km/hour, making them the fastest mammal with a weight of over 1000kg. How much would it take for a blind rhino, dependent upon humans for survival, to charge through at such a speed!
We live in the world of power play. We see raw display of power being unleashed not only in the corridors of corporate power-play and in politics, but in everyday life. We rise above others with less privileges. We choose battles which we can win due to our sheer power. We exploit knowingly or unknowingly. We employ uncouth tactics to dominate. And when we rise to stardom by not being totally fair, we celebrate. In our subconscious mind, we realise this perhaps; at least some do. And then, don’t we know of donations and charity work to show the world that we care! When confronted with a sudden different and difficult situation, so many of us revolt. Acceptability comes late, if it comes at all. And we lash out at people and at the changed situation. How often have we seen defeat being taken bitterly! Such is our addiction to power and stardom, that we leave aside dignity and sensitivity at the bat of an eyelid!
Reigning in our powers makes us humble. This makes us appreciate all those around us who we are dependent upon. Be it a first level clerk in office or our house help or a child who serves tea at the canteen. Our education teaches us to be ‘nice to them’ indeed. But how much do we train our mind consciously to refrain from subconsciously using the power we have earned or the might we are born with?
Think. Think about the pristine powers, never again to be unleashed by Baraka. Imagine a Big Five living a life of comfort simply because he willfully accepted his situation and adapted so beautifully. No wonder, Baraka is the blind ambassador of black rhinos in the wild! A true example of resilience, adaptability and knowing how to handle power with quiet and dignity.
