Introduction to the Lowveld Conservancies, Zimbabwe

 

When Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, its black rhino population numbered around 2,000 animals, of which around 1,300 were concentrated in the Zambezi Valley. Serious cross-border poaching then flared up. In response to the ongoing poaching pressures, which steadily spread to the other Zimbabwean rhino strongholds of the Sebungwe and Hwange regions and Gonarezhou National Park, a national rhino conservation strategy was launched with the following main components.

• Creation of four IPZs (Intensive Protection Zones) within National Parks. These received significant donor support and the more effective patrolling that was achieved within them, combined with an extensive de-horning campaign, stemmed the poaching by 1995
• Export of around 30 black rhinos to overseas captive breeding facilities (these suffered from a high mortality rate)
• Development of a rhino custodianship scheme, whereby 190 rhinos were moved to a number of areas of private land where the landowners undertook to look after them on behalf of the state. Although there were some poaching problems, by 2000, black rhino populations in several of these conservancies (in Zimbabwe’s Lowveld region) had doubled, after achieving some of the fastest growth rates ever recorded for rhino populations

The successful rebuilding of Zimbabwe’s black rhino population (from a low point, after the heavy poaching, of about 370 in 1993 to a current level of about 450), along with the establishment of innovative conservancy projects, earned Zimbabwe considerable acclaim within the international conservation community. Almost 75% of Zimbabwe’s black rhinos are on commercial farms and conservancies.

Within Zimbabwe, the black rhino breeding success in the Lowveld Conservancies has been considerable. When the populations were founded in Bubiana, Chiredzi River and Save Valley under the WWF Conservancy Project, rhino monitoring systems were put in place and a small core group of skilled rhino monitors has been developed over time. These rhino monitors have provided valuable protection and information on the performance of these populations. Both the Bubiana and Save Valley populations have passed the 100 mark from founder populations of approximately 35 each in 1993. Currently the population in the Lowveld Conservancies (Bubiana, Bubye River, Chiredzi River, Malilangwe and Save Valley) accounts for 300 out of the national population of 525 black rhinos.

In Bubiana, Chiredzi and Save Valley conservancies, the Fast Track Land Resettlement programme that commenced in 2000 has disrupted the rhino populations through dramatically increased poaching activity and the destruction of habitat.

In most wildlife areas on private land (such as the Lowveld Conservancies) the occupation of land for growing crops has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in snaring activity. In the affected areas the perimeter fences to the Conservancies have been dismantled by the occupying farmers. Much of the wire from these fences has been used to make wire snares – loops of wire secured to trees in the bush to trap and kill antelope species. When a rhino encounters such snares, the wire tightens around either the leg or neck but is then broken free from the tree and is carried away in the flesh of the rhino. If such snares are not detected early the snare embeds deeply (sometimes into the bone) causing severe injury and requires surgery to remove the wire. In extreme cases, snares may result in the death of the animal. 

Prior to the land invasions these wildlife areas were patrolled by anti-poaching units, which, in the course of their patrols, would also gather information on rhinos. These anti-poaching units would pass this information on the rhino monitoring units which helped reduce the amount of time the rhino monitoring units spent locating the rhinos. In many areas these anti-poaching patrols are no longer conducted due to the disruption of the previous ranching operations and the rhino monitors (if they are able to gain access to the area themselves) have to spend more time doing all the scouting themselves. The situation is becoming similar in many of the areas that are patrolled by anti-poaching units due to the unusually high and increasing levels of poaching activity. Those anti-poaching units that are still operating are frequently so heavily occupied with dealing with poachers that there is little time for them to gather rhino information as well.

This situation is further aggravated by the increased movement of rhinos caused by home range disruption. The clearing of fields for cropping and the dramatic increased human and livestock activity inside the Conservancies has disrupted the home ranges of many rhinos causing them to change their patterns of behaviour and shift home ranges. Sometimes this leads to the animals moving outside the Conservancy or into the home ranges of other rhinos. This movement into other home ranges can lead to fighting. On at least three known occasions this had lead to the death of rhinos through injuries sustained in fights.

On a more positive note, in addition to these increasing demands on the rhino monitoring units in the established conservancies, new breeding populations are being established. Between 2002 and 2004 a total of 35 black rhinos were moved from the occupied areas of the Bubiana Conservancy to establish a new population in a safer area on Bubye River Conservancy. This added another 250,000 ha to the area requiring patrolling bringing the total area covered by the WWF Conservancy monitoring units to over 755,000 ha. In 2005 it is planned to re-establish an Intensive Protection Zone in Gonarezhou National Park for both black rhino and white rhino populations. In time it is hoped that all these areas will be linked forming the Greater Limpopo Trans-Frontier Conservation Area which will provide considerable range expansion opportunities for both black and white rhinos and require a well developed skill base to provide adequate and effective monitoring.

With thanks to Raoul du Toit and Lovemore Mungwashu for their information.