EAZA Rhino Campaign Project D: Lifting crane for rhino capture truck

Location: Zimbabwe
Species: Black (Diceros bicornis minor), White (Ceratotherium simum simum)
Coordinator: Lovemore Mungwashu, SADC Regional Program for Rhino Conservation
Type: Translocations
Amount awarded: 19,500 euros

Abstract
Zimbabwe experienced severe poaching problems in the 1980s, which almost resulted in the complete annihilation of both black and white rhino particularly in those parts of the Parks Estate along the border with Zambia. Numerous engagements took place between members of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. It was decided to move the animals to private Conservancies and into state Intensive Protection Zones (IPZs) in order to reduce the losses of rhinos. In addition, anti-poaching manpower densities in the IPZs were increased and this helped to reduce poaching to levels where annual losses to poachers were less than the net population increase. 

Over the years, the capacity and resources for sound management of the rhinos in the Lowveld Conservancies have been built to universally accepted levels. They have one rhino capture vehicle, but the geographical scope of this vehicle is limited to the Lowveld. This truck is now 13 years old and, because of its age, spares are difficult to source. In addition, the increased size of the black rhino population in the Lowveld Conservancies, combined with the disruptions of the Fast Track Land Resettlement programme, has created a situation where each year more rhinos require translocation than is actually possible to achieve given the available resources.

Owing to the prevailing unfavourable macro-economic environment, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has not been able sufficiently to equip its wildlife capture unit, to the extent that the unit no longer has the capacity to react to emergency rhino operations, let alone normal rhino capture and translocations. In cases when capture has been carried out, some unacceptably high levels of mortalities have been recorded due to the use of antiquated capture equipment.

Support
The equipping of a suitable vehicle to undertake capture and translocation operations will improve the national capacity to attend to all animals that require translocation. The project organisers are confident that funding will come from another source to pay for the purchase of a capture truck; the EAZA Rhino Campaign will then pay for it to be fitted out with a Fassi lifting crane.

Once operational, the truck will be used to fulfil the currently unachievable needs for rhino translocations within Zimbabwe, in National Parks such as Matobo and Hwange, and in private conservancies and ranches, such as the Midlands and Goourlays. In addition, the truck may also be deployed for rhino capture operations in adjacent countries (such as North Luangwa National Park in Zambia, which lacks capture capacity).

Outcome
To read about the outcome of this grant, click here.