Dr Kes Hillman Smith  

 

 

 

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British born Kenya citizen, Kes or Kesenyonye was given her name by the Maasai. It means 'Live in Peace'. Growing up in a Royal Air Force family, frequent moving and living in exotic places gave her a wanderlust. After completing a PhD in Zoology at Leicester Unversity in UK, interspersed with expeditions to Arctic Norway, the Outer Hebrides and Iran, Kes joined a group of friends travelling through Africa studying handicrafts. 

 

Arriving in Kenya, Kes initially worked on biological research projects and Environmental Impact Assessments. Volunteering as an observer on the aerial surveys being done to assess the massive impact of poaching on elephants at that time, led to working with elephant expert Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton on the first Pan African Elephant Survey and Conservation Action Plan. It became clear that, the numerically fewer, rhinos were also targeted by the same poachers with greater consequences to their populations.

 

Kes's subsequent African rhino survey led to her founding the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group and becoming its first Chair. The Northern White Rhinos were prioritised, not only for their own intrinsic value and threatened status, but for the valuable ecosystems they were part of, which were “protected areas” in name only. With the late Major Ian Grimwood, Kes raised money to start the Garamba National Park Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which offered best hope for their survival.

 

Kes was joined on the Northern White Rhino surveys in Sudan and Zaire, by Fraser Smith, whom she had met while studying the introduction of Black Rhinos into Pilanesberg Game Reserve. They both moved to Garamba National Park, in what was then Zaire, in March 1984. 

 

Kes & Fraser spent the next 22 years dedicated to the conservation of Garamba and its Northern White Rhinos and elephants, were married and raised two children there. Rhino and elephant numbers doubled in Garamba within 8 years. Even when challenged by civil wars, the conservation continued, helped by the UN Foundation/UNESCO programme for Conservation of the five World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo during armed conflict, a project that was the first of its kind to maintain effective conservation throughout war. Kes became Coordinator of the programme which was based on collaboration between the dedicated partner NGO personnel, the National Wildlife Institute (ICCN), UNESCO and the UN Foundation.

 

After African Parks took over the conservation of Garamba in 2006, Kes spent the next 9 years working on the book "Garamba, Conservation in Peace & War", while also working part time with Fraser in Selous Black Rhino project in Tanzania and on other consultancies.

 

Kes and Fraser live in Kenya, as do their children Chyulu and Doungu and their respective families, all still working in the conservation & aviation fields.