Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve is synonymous with rhino conservation. The southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) had been reduced to a single population of some 20-50 animals in the late 1800s, when the Reserve was proclaimed to protect them. By the early 1960s, rhino conservation had been so successful, that the Natal Parks Board was able to start catching and translocating these animals to other conservation areas throughout Africa, as well as to zoos overseas. The African population now stands at nearly 13,000 animals, all of which had their origins in the Reserve. More recently, focus has shifted to the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor), and these are intensively monitored and managed in the Reserve. This has allowed surplus black rhinos to be translocated to other conservation areas in Africa. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the project leader, is currently working with WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, which identifies and helps to stock suitable conservation areas with surplus black rhinos from EKZNW reserves.
The success of rhino conservation in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve is largely due to two factors: community outreach programmes; and effective law enforcement. Neither of these can be successful on its own. Law enforcement is largely carried out by field rangers based at picket camps throughout the Reserve, supported by a more specialised anti-poaching unit. In order for staff to perform successfully and efficiently, it is imperative that they are well equipped once in the field.