Attention on black rhino population on World Rhino Day
ROSEBANK – WWF SA celebrates World Rhino ay by sharing their successes.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) South Africa celebrated World Rhino Day by putting a spotlight on the plight of black rhino in the country at the Circa Gallery in Rosebank on 22 September.
Since 2003, a WWF initiative, the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (Brrep) has been working to grow populations of black rhino in South Africa. Their main concern has been the current increase in poaching incidents, especially, in the KwaZulu-Natal region, where the project has helped to grow the population to over 500 animals, representing a 21 per cent growth rate in the province.
Dr Jo Shaw, WWF SA rhino programme manager, said since 1960 there had been an unfortunate distinction showing one of the fastest declines ever known for a large line mammal.
“Between 1960 and 1995 they have declined by 97 per cent, from about 100 000 animals to just 2 500,” explained Shaw. “Fortunately since then, thanks to protection and good biological management efforts, those numbers have doubled to about 5 000.”
On white rhino, Shaw said the species had been reduced to between 50 to 100 animals in the 19th century and that number had since grown to about 20 000 across the continent and over 80 per cent of them are in South Africa.
She added that there was a healthy recovery up until 2010 where efforts were levelling off due to the dramatic spike in poaching in the country which was now spreading across the region coming from the demand of rhino horns from Asia.
“What is concerning is that as things seem to come under control in South Africa, the threat then moved to Zimbabwe and also began to develop in Namibia,” said Shaw. “The problem is as things come under control in one spot, the poaching pressure shifts elsewhere.”
Expanding on the Brrep, Wildlife Veterinarian Dr Jacques Flamand said since its inception, the project has moved over 160 black rhino, established 10 new populations and over 70 calves had been born on project sites.
“We’ve developed a powerful team with our partners over the years, including Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, and all the private and community landowners involved in the project,” said Flamand. “Without them, we would never have come as far as we have.”
He added that there were about 185 rhino on project sites from 160 animals.
“You might argue that it’s not much of a growth from 160 animals caught, but we do have deaths of older animals, some of them do fight but by and large we do have growth and in KZN for instance that 500 represents over 20 per cent growth in the years since 2003.”
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