CONSERVATION Life

ith rhinos having been declared extinct or near Near extinct rhino make Wextinct twice in Botswana, there is real concern that this does not happen to its now growing pop- comeback in botswana ulation. Bordered by South Africa and Zimbabwe, where rhino poach- ing is currently at a high, Botswana’s rhino professionals know that their monitoring and security must be at its most effective. This article exam- ines the future for Botswana’s rhinos. In January 2005, the ‘Conser- vation and Management Strategy for the White Rhinoceros and the Black Rhinoceros in Botswana’ was published with all key government and private rhino organisations signatories to it. It gave a Vision for Botswana - “there will be a healthy population of black and White Rhinoceros in Botswana, in both unfenced rhino conservation areas and in fenced rhino sanctuaries that are well protected, managed and monitored”. The strategy set a goal of “500 southern White Rhinos in 20 years” (2025) and committed the Department of Wildlife and Na- Photos: © Felix Patton tional Parks to re-introducing Black Above: male over 100 White Rhinos and 7 Black country hosts many Chinese or- Rhino. White Rhino at Rhinos in Botswana (see box below). ganisations and their staff working Compare the goal with the re- dawn in Serwe Poaching remains the biggest on large infrastructure projects and, sults: Following a re-introduction Pan, Khama threat in rhino conservation areas as in many African countries, they programme initiated in 2001 aug- Rhino Sanctuary of Botswana. It has risen in South offer a conduit for rhino horn to the menting the indigenous remnant Africa and Zimbabwe and Botswana large Asian market for traditional population, there are now a little does not expect to be immune. The Chinese medicines.

he Mombo Rhino Project, population of 33 white and 3 Ta joint initiative of Wilder- Black Rhinos. An additional ness Safaris, Wilderness 50 Km2 has been allocated Safaris Wildlife Trust, the to expand the sanctuary and Botswana Department of is being assessed for Black Wildlife and National Parks Rhino suitability. and the Botswana government Mokolodi Nature Reserve is monitoring 44 White and is a 50 Km2 fenced rhino 4 Black Rhinos in the 4,871 sanctuary close to Gabarone. Km2 unfenced Moremi Game It breeds White Rhinos for Reserve. Of these, 34 of the introduction to other areas. whites are on Chief’s Island Three rhinos have been sent and 6 are located to the south to Mombo and five to the Tuli west of Moremi. Two females Block in the east leaving 8 walked over 200 Kms into whites for further breeding. Makgadikgadi National Park, In the Ghanzi District, north Above: Rangers with settling near Kumaga. A male west Botswana, two private aerial locating Black was moved to join them in sanctuaries have White Rhi- Rhino in Venetia Lim- June 2008 and met up with the nos – Tholo Farm (Edo’s Camp) popo Nature Reserve females in September. A sec- Kwalata each have six. Jwana ond male from Khama was due Game Park, part of an area in Left: Pearl, among the to be released to join them. the south owned by the gov- first white rhinos born Khama Rhino Sanctuary ernment mining organisation in Mokolodi Nature is a 43 Km2 area of Kalahari Debswana, has three. There Reserve sandveldt enclosed by a 28 are five White Rhinos in the Km electric fence and located Tuli Block. 25 Km from Serowe. It has a

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Government resources are, not eventually translocate these animals Felix Patton is major contributor to Gross Domes- unexpectedly, limited and rhinos to the Mashatu Game Reserve, part a rhino ecologist tic Product, second only to the 45% roam huge, difficult to monitor of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, specialising in the of mining. Wildlife and particularly areas especially in Moremi Game and southern Africa’s largest private individual identifica- megafauna like rhino and elephants Reserve. Many of the staff employed game reserve and the protected areas tion of rhinos and are essential for maintaining wildlife are not rhino specialists and may in the Okavango Delta. Houston establishing rhino tourism in Botswana. The govern- be needed for other duties. In addi- Zoo, USA has joined with the monitoring systems. ment remains committed to using tion, a Trans-Frontier Conservation International Rhino Foundation, He is currently also the military power of the Botswana Area has been proposed for Shashe- working in conjunction with Wil- a PhD candidate at Defence Force for environmental Limpopo with 53% in South Africa, derness Safaris, to support the return Manchester Metro- security while the private sector 19% in Zimbabwe and 28% in Bo- of Black Rhinos to Botswana, with a politan University, remains committed to aiding the tswana represented by the Northern pledge of US $100,000. UK. development of the rhino popula- Tuli Game Reserve. The 700 Km2 In order to face the challenges tion. With such a strong relationship Reserve was formed in the 1960’s ahead, the private rhino sanctuaries The help of Peter between the public and private sec- by thirty six adjacent farms which formed a co-ordinating body – the Dow and Lincoln tor, the future looks bright for the removed their fences to allow free Botswana Private Rhino Ranchers Njiru of Mokolodi rhino in Botswana. movement of wildlife and there is Association – in October 2008. In Nature Reserve is no fence between it and Zimba- addition, the creation of a body acknowledged in bwe. With Mopane veld being the to co-ordinate all rhino monitor- compiling information dominant vegetation, it offers ideal ing and research activity has been for this article. habitat for both black and White mooted with the dedicated full time Rhinos. There are rhinos already in staff and facilities necessary to create the South Africa section with four an annual plan of monitoring and whites released in the Mapungubwe to establish fully equipped Rapid National Park and Black Rhinos Response Units in conjunction in the Venetia Limpopo Nature with current anti-poaching units. Reserve. Free movement of rhinos Rhino research projects on habitat, across country borders will challenge diet, range and so on would be co- both protection and monitoring ordinated and prioritised. It would systems. maintain a national rhino data bank There is the potential to see be- and facilitate the education of the tween 10 and 20 Black Rhinos in people of Botswana in the need for Zimbabwe, either in regions where rhino conservation. However, dis- small isolated populations are un- cussions are at an early stage. der serious threat from poaching National Parks and wildlife or private rhino conservancies that conservation areas cover 17% of are presently over-crowded, and to Botswana and tourism, at 16%, is a

White rhino at dusk moving to water at Malema’s Pan, Khama Rhino Sanctuary

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p until the middle of the nineteenth century Zambia Uthere were both black and White Rhinos Angola in Botswana. By 1895 the southern White Rhi- noceros species was extinct in Botswana and most of southern Africa with only between 20 Linyati Chobe and 50 surviving. National Park In 1967 a rhino re-introduction programme was started with four white individuals translo- Moremi Reserve Botswana cated from Natal. Then between 1974 and 1981, Nxai Pan a further 71 individuals were introduced into National Park Chobe National Park and 19 into Moremi Game Reserve – both areas in northern Botswana. Makgadikgadi Zimbabwe By 1984 there were 190 white and 10 Black Pans National Park Rhinos in Botswana. However, during the 1980’s there was a major poaching threat to the Namibia country’s megafauna – principally elephants but also rhinos. It came from organised gangs of foreigners operating in small groups of less than a dozen men but up to 30 who were well Central Kalahari armed, skilful in the field, had excellent infor- Game Reserve mation as to the whereabouts of anti-poaching patrols and were able to employ anti-tracking Khutse measures and ambushes. These foreign gangs Game Reserve were feared by the local community. South Africa To counter these highly professional poach- Mokolodi ing gangs, in 1987 the government agreed Nature Reserve Gaborone to use units of the Botswana Defence Force Gaborono Manyelanong Kgalagadi Game Reserve (BDF), the military (army and airforce) which Game Reserve had been established in 1977. Most of the Transfrontier Park poaching was on land close to the 400 miles of northern borders and in the Okavango Delta – a huge 80,000 square miles of difficult terrain Botswana, its neighbour with good cover to patrol. countries and main rhino areas Initially the Commando Squadron, the special forces with skilled bush trackers, was used. In later years other units were intro- Moremi Game Reserve and the main areas for duced as the anti-poaching work was seen as rhino re-introduction marked with red dots a good opportunity for training in patrolling and ambush techniques. Apart from the threat from the poachers, the 400 to 600 troops employed each year had to contend with the dangers from the very animals they were protecting so underwent specialist wildlife related training. This embedded a strong conservationist ethic in the BDF. Despite the BDF running a very successful anti-poaching operation, poaching could not be contained and by 1995 there were only 20 white and no Black Rhinos left in Botswana – for the second time rhinos were on the brink of extinction.

hile the Department of Wildlife and the WBDF were working on anti-poaching, the government decided to relocate the remaining Parks Board, South Africa – five and three re- Kms out of the Reserve. In 2003, four Black wild rhinos into fenced sanctuaries in order to spectively. Mokolodi was stocked with rhinos Rhinos were introduced. build up the population while open areas were introduced by purchase and donations from By 2007 the Mombo Rhino Project was secured for future releases. In 1992 a national the Natal Parks Board in South Africa. mainly concentrated on monitoring rhino strategy of government-private partnerships In 2001, the Mombo Rhino Project was movements but many had moved off Chief’s was established which led to the opening of started - over a two year period 32 White Rhi- Island and the radio transmitters fitted on the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a community nos were introduced into the Mombo area of initial translocation had ended their life and trust, in 1993 and the privately owned Mokolodi Chief’s Island in the Moremi Game Reserve of replacements were needed. New transmitters Game Reserve in 1994. which 22 were the result of a ‘rhino for roan’ were fitted to 7 white and 1 Black Rhino and a Khama was stocked with four rhinos from swap deal with South Africa. Seven did not second vehicle purchased enabling more area Chobe National Park and three from Moremi survive – five died in the introduction process to be covered including those near to com- Game Reserve then later in 1995 and 1998 eight and two moved close to human settlement and munities where some rhinos had moved to and more were introduced from the North West were poached. A further six moved over 200 which were under threat.

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