Project
Summary:Rhinos
have lived on this planet for 30 million years - they deserve to survive.
Having suffered a catastrophic 98% decline in the 1970s and '80s, this reintroduction
programme is proving a vital part of black rhino conservation in South Africa
To download the full report (pdf
format - 5.25Mb) please click
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Executive
Summary
Purpose of
this Report
This report documents five years of work
in SANParks and shares our experiences with a wide spectrum of
readers. It should appeal to those who care about rhinos, as well
as provide new information for those involved in rhino conservation
and management. We also hope that those who do not yet appreciate
this truly magnificent animal will find this publication an inspiration
to help ensure the survival of rhinos.
Shibula
Our experience with Shibula prompted our
desire to learn more about the critically endangered black rhino,
and contribute to ensuring its survival.
Shibula was
brought back from Lisbon Zoo in 1991, and our love of black
rhinos began. We have followed her progress for the past 15
years - from a tame zoo animal to a wild rhino.
Shibula has given birth to six calves.
Four of her calves have survived. The first born female, Dundi
is at Mountain Zebra National Park (Mountain Zebra), the other
two females Tria and the youngest Dusty are with Shibula in
Darlington area of Addo Elephant National Park (Addo). The male
Kleinalec, her fourth calf was moved to the Kuzuko Concession
in 2005. Tria has already had a calf of her own. Dundi - see
page 31.
Shibula's return to the wild has truly
been successful, and we look forward to many more calves,as
her story continues.
Monitoring
The monitoring project, which basically
involves locating, identifying and observing individual animals
on a regular basis, continues to grow. Techniques have evolved
and become more sophisticated together with the equipment such
as radio-transmitter implants being used.
Data sheets are kept on all the rhino.
Observations on behaviour, distribution, the birth of calves,
deaths and feeding preferences are recorded. The physical condition
and health of animals are assessed, and map plots record their
positions and movements over time.
During over 400 hours of observations,
we have endeavoured to remain undetected by the rhinos so as
not to disturb them. This has resulted in us observing behaviour
that has not been documented before.
Our observations show that black rhino
are social, caring and intelligent creatures that do not fit
the stereotyped solitary, aggressive animals they are reputed
to be. Much as with elephants, family and social relationships
are important in the life of black rhino.
Future
As the rhino populations expand, there
is a clear need to cultivate dedicated and trained on-site field
rangers to ensure more frequent monitoring.
One cannot be complacent about the security
of black rhino, even in national parks, as the recently exposed
activities of poaching syndicates indicate.
Translocated animals should be intensively
monitored, ideally using radio transmitters implanted in their
horns, and other methods devised to monitor young and vulnerable
animals.
The successful release of orphans into
a wild population can be assisted by following the example of
two hand-reared black rhino raised and released at Addo.
Black rhino conservation in national
parks could be enhanced by prioritising the acquisition of good
black rhino habitat, particularly at Mountain Zebra and acquiring
more animals of the Diceros bicornis bicornis subspecies from
the successfully managed populations in Namibia.
On-going Project
After five years and 53 monitoring trips,
we realize how much more work is still needed to understand and
successfully build up black rhino numbers in our national parks.
We remain fully committed to this project and the black rhino.
To download the full report (pdf format
- 5.25Mb) please click
here ...
