Introduction to the Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania

The 3,270 square kilometre Mkomazi Game Reserve (MGR) forms the southern extension of the Tsavo Ecosystem into north-eastern Tanzania, and together with Tsavo National Park in Kenya, MGR forms one of the largest protected areas in Africa. Due to inadequate funding and levels of protection in the 1970s and 80s, the wildlife and habitat of MGR deteriorated significantly through invasion by livestock and heavy poaching. This included the loss of all resident black rhino and virtually all the elephant.

In 1989, the Government of Tanzania (GOT) invited the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust (GAWPT) to work with them to undertake a rehabilitation programme for MGR, including restoration of habitat and re-introduction and breeding programmes for the highly endangered wild dog and black rhinoceros. The recovery of MGR has been enabled by the Tanzanian Wildlife Division (TWD) and the GAWPT through extensive rehabilitation of the infrastructure of the reserve, with work activities bolstered by local community involvement and projects linked to wildlife protection and maintaining the integrity of the MGR. The GOT and GAWPT have committed to strengthening the protected status of MGR to National Park status, together with community based conservation initiatives and projects developed with the indigenous peoples of the Mkomazi area.

The black rhinoceros of northern Tanzania (and Kenya) is of the eastern subspecies / ecotype (Diceros bicornis michaeli). With only two very small and highly vulnerable populations of this taxon remaining in Tanzania (Ngorongoro CA, Serengeti NP) it was recognised by the TWD that there was a clear need for the establishment of a new secure breeding population in quality habitat within former range. Ideally the population could also be used to supply surplus animals subsequently to reinforce existing populations. The habitat of MGR and the Tsavo ecosystem in general has a very high carrying capacity (in terms of density) for black rhinos, far exceeding those of southern Africa. With a rich diversity of favoured food plants and vegetation cover based on rich volcanic soils with a bimodal rainfall pattern, the rhino densities recorded by Goddard in Tsavo (including MGR) in the 1960’s indicate densities typically one order of magnitude higher that those that could be carried by most rhino conservation areas in southern Africa. Consequently, the cost-effectiveness of rhino conservation in terms of production of rhinos per unit area would also be equivalently high, an important consideration given the expense of construction and maintenance of fencing.

Save the Rhino International, together with our funding partner Chester Zoo, supports two aspects of the Mkomazi Game Reserve: the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary, and Rafiki ya kifaru, a new Environmental Education programme.