GOING, GOING...
Dr Jonah Marais and his assistant, Dorota Ladosz, remove the horn of Paco during the dehorning of all the black rhinos on an unnamed private game reserve near the Kruger National Park. The rhino is tranquilised with its vital signs constantly monitored.
While it’s too early to say that rhinos are out of the extinction woods, there is reason to celebrate as efforts to rescue the species continue in SA.
Yesterday – World Rhino Day – the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF) announced the birth of no less than 13 calves at facilities across SA.
The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project is a collaborative effort to protect rhinos and move them to safer habitats. “This is why WWF entered into partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife two decades ago,” said WWF project leader Dr Jacques Flamand.
There were 13 partner sites housing 270 black rhinos and the locations had to be kept under wraps, given the risk of poaching.
According to the department of environment, forestry and fisheries, 594 rhinos were lost in 2019, down from 769 in 2018, and well off the high of 1 215 poached in 2014.
Reacting to the results in February, Minister Barbara Creecy said: “A decline in poaching for five consecutive years is a reflection of the diligent work of the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to combat rhino poaching, often coming into direct contact with ruthless poachers.”
In 2019, 178 poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park alone, while nationally, the number arrested for poaching and trafficking was 332.
A total of 38 people were sentenced to more than 11 years behind bars in 2019, and a number of high profile cases were still pending.
As a result of a multitude of efforts, including regional cooperation, the population of black rhino had increased to 5 500 from 2 500 25 years ago, said the WWF.
“We decided to increase the range of black rhinos to up the growth rate and numbers of the critically endangered species. It started slowly and it has taken a lot of hard work and commitment from a lot of partners. Now we are starting to see the results,” said Flamand.
But it struggled with a sharp vacancy rate which impacted its ability to beat poachers, according to its annual report.
“The moratorium on the filling of vacant posts has resulted in a 30% vacancy rate. This is hardest felt in our protected areas as our decreasing law enforcement troops struggle to fight the scourge of rhino poaching on the ground,” wrote chair William Mngoma.
Despite the challenges, data from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife showed that black rhino populations were increasing. –