Save the Rhino International - What We Do - Conservation Projects in Africa


	African rhino- and community-based projects Save the Rhino International and the EAZA Rhino Campaign have been able to support a geographically wide range of projects. Country: Kenya Location: Lake Nakuru, Nairobi, Chyulu, Tsavo West, Aberdare and Meru National Parks Project partner: Kenya Wildlife Service Rhino numbers: ± 540 Eastern black rhino in Kenya in total Support: Monitoring teams to synchronise KWS activities in five National Parks Country: Kenya Location: Laikipia District, just north of Mt Kenya and straddling the Equator Project partner: Laikipia Wildlife Forum Size: 9,500 km2, part of the 25,000 km2 Ewaso ecosystem Support: Community Conservation and Environmental Education programmes in local communities, which show conservation can improve livelihoods and be economically viable, as well as educating schoolchildren about the importance of conservation Country: Kenya Location: Chyulu Hills, in the North-Eastern boundaries of the Tsavo ecosystem Project partners: Masaailand Preservation Trust / the Kenya Wildlife Service Rhino numbers: ± 12 Eastern black rhino Size of protected area: 926 km2 Support: Salaries, vehicle costs for rangers from the local community that undertake anti-poaching and monitoring activities alongside KWS, a dung DNA project due to take place later in 2007 Country: Kenya Location: Tsavo East National Park Project partner: Kenya Wildlife Service Rhino numbers: ± 50 Eastern black rhino Size of protected area: 12,000 km2 Support: Salary of Richard Kech, an experienced ex-KWS rhino monitor, who is about to move to the Chyulu Hills to train the scouts and KWS rangers there, vehicle fuel and maintenance, camping and monitoring equipment Country: Kenya Project partner: The Association of Private Land Rhino Sanctuaries (APLRS) Support: The APLRS works in close cooperation with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for the protection of around 200 black and 160 white rhinos. This project’s aim is to enhance the security of the rhinos by increasing the motivation and morale of security personnel through cash incentives Country: Tanzania Location: Selous Game Reserve Project partner: Selous Rhino Trust Rhino numbers: ± 19 Eastern black rhino in the northern sector Size of protected area: 47,000 km2 Support: Anti-poaching and monitoring teams to keep the already identified northern sector secure and to investigate the rhino population(s) in the southern sector of the Reserve, where the rhino might be from a different subspecies, the South Central black rhino Country: Tanzania Location: Mkomazi Game Reserve Project partner: George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust Rhino numbers: 8 Eastern black rhino Size of protected area: 3,270 km2 Support: The running and protection of Tanzania’s first rhino sanctuary aiming to release more rhino in to the wild, together with a new Environmental Education programme that will link local schoolchildren with Tony Fitzjohn’s conservation efforts Country: Tanzania Location: Grumeti Reserves Project partner: Grumeti Fund Rhino numbers: 2 Eastern black rhino Size of protected area: 1,500 km2 Support: The re-introduction of further black rhinos will assist in obtaining long-term funding which will boost security on the western boundary of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem. The Ecosystem has the potential to become a Continental Key 1 Population and it is the aim of Grumeti Fund to assist the Tanzanian Government to make this happen. Country: Uganda Location: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola (170 km north of Kampala) Project partner: Rhino Fund Uganda Rhino numbers: 6 Southern white rhino Size of protected area: 62 km2 Support: The re-introduction of rhinos to Uganda, where they had become extinct in Idi Amin’s time, by running a rhino sanctuary and an Environmental Educational programme for local children Country: Zambia Location: North Luangwa National Park Project partner: North Luangwa Conservation Project and the Frankfurt Zoological Society Rhino numbers: 20 South Central black rhino Size of protected area: 205 km2 Support: The re-introduction of rhino into North Luangwa National Park by keeping the Sanctuary secure though building infrastructure and providing education programmes for the neighbouring communities Country: Zimbabwe Location: Matusadona National Park Project partner: Zambezi Society Rhino number: ± 20 South Central black rhino Size of protected area: 400 km2 Support: Ongoing ground-based monitoring of the rhino population Country: Zimbabwe Location: Lowveld Conservancies Project partner: Lowveld Rhino Conservancy Project Rhino number: ± 450 South Central black rhino Size of protected area: 755,000 ha covered by the monitoring units Support: An intensive programme of rhino management that encompasses rigorous security and innovative education programmes Country: Zimbabwe Location: Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy Project partner: Sebakwe Black Rhino Trust Rhino numbers: ± 60 South Central black rhino Support: Money is needed to perform darting operations (implantation of transponders in the horn, translocation), for new equipment and for an upgrade of the security system (more guards to be employed) Country: South Africa Location: Hluhluwe Game Reserve Project partner: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Rhino numbers: In total, South Africa has 80 South Western, 41 Eastern and 1,258 South Central black rhino, and 13,524 Southern white rhino Support: Equipment for the monitoring and anti-poaching teams, such as digital cameras, GPSs, solar panels, rifle safes, camping gear etc Country: Namibia Location: Northwest of Kunene and Erongo Region Project partner: Save the Rhino Trust Support: Enhancing the quality and quantity of monitoring and protection of a Key 1 population of desert-adapted rhinos that are managed by Save the Rhino Trust and their community- and tourism-based conservation activities Country: Namibia Location: Primarily Etosha National Park, Waterberg Plateau Park and the Kunene Region Project partner: Ministry of Environment and Tourism Rhino numbers: In total Namibia has 1,141 South Western black rhino and 293 Southern white rhino Support: Translocating rhinos from the Kunene Region to other National Parks and communal conservancies, as part of an ongoing biological management programme And non-geographically specific: Project partner: African Rhino Specialist Group Project: Rhino horn finger-printing project Support: Developing a forensic technique, which could both identify the species and source location of rhino horn recovered following arrests Project partner: African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) Support: The AfRSG’s mission is to promote the development of viable populations of the various subspecies of African rhinos in the wild. Since 1992 it has held bi-annual meetings to bring together approximately 50 experts and stakeholders working in and with rhino conservation. The meetings are unique and invaluable as they examine rhino conservation on the whole continent and bring together rhino conservationist from all over the world, exchanging ideas and best practice Project partners: Keryn Adcock, Kenneth Buk and Jo Shaw Project: The nutritional ecology of black rhinos and its effect on carrying capacity and breeding performance Support: In some areas black rhinos have suffered high mortalities and poor calving performances, which make these investigations necessary for future management of this population. Equally, a better understanding of black rhino diet may help in the selection of the most appropriate areas for the establishment of new populations

African rhino- and community-based projects