In a significant conservation achievement, NGO African Parks recently completed its third rhino translocation of the year which involved moving a group of animals from a farm in Klerksdorp, northwest of South Africa‘s Gauteng Province, to the Dinokeng Game Reserve in the northeast.
This move marks another important step in the non-profit organisation’s ambitious 10-year plan to rewild 2,000 captive-raised southern white rhinos, one of the world’s most endangered species.
In 2023, African Parks purchased the world’s largest rhino breeding operation, which held approximately 13% of the total remaining population. The NGO immediately got to work translocating the animals to well-protected reserves.
Over the past century, the southern white rhino was driven to the brink of extinction by poaching and habitat loss, dwindling to just 40 individuals in the 1930s. Conservation efforts in the 20th century led to a remarkable recovery, and by 2010, the global population had reached around 20,000 individuals, most of them in South Africa. Alarmingly, poaching syndicates continue to pose a threat to rhinos. In 2019 alone, South Africa lost over 500 rhinos to poaching, which highlights the urgent need for robust conservation interventions. Currently, their numbers stand at around 17,500, an increase of 3.4% from 2022.
The Dinokeng translocation is a key component of broader efforts to restore biodiversity, boost rhino populations, and combat poaching, all of which are crucial for the long-term survival of the species. Investors of the initiative include the Rob Walton Foundation, the Pershing Square Foundation, Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa, the Aspinall Foundation and WeWild Africa. “To see another successful translocation come to fruition is a thrilling next chapter in our ongoing partnership with African Parks,” reflected WeWild Director Dereck Milburn. “We are committed to seeing southern white rhino populations established across Africa to secure the future of this iconic animal.”
The translocation program shows African Parks’ commitment to the multi-stakeholder African Rhino Conservation Strategy, which aims to secure rhino populations across the continent. By collaborating with local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other conservation organisations, African Parks is bolstering rhino protection efforts, improving security measures, and increasing awareness about the importance of rhino conservation. The organisation’s strategy includes the protection and rehabilitation of ecosystems, wildlife monitoring, and innovative translocation efforts to safeguard vulnerable species.
The move of rhinos to new and secure reserves is a vital component in increasing population numbers and reducing the risk of poaching by dispersing rhinos across multiple safe locations. The rhinos require continuous monitoring, and investment must be put into anti-poaching technologies, such as drones and tracking systems, as well as the training of park rangers to ensure the animals are protected.
Dinokeng Game Reserve was carefully selected due to its suitable habitat, sufficient food sources, and proximity to existing rhino populations, which will help to ensure genetic diversity.
Dinokeng has a remarkable story of its own: it’s the only residential ‘Big Five’ game reserve in the world within the boundaries of a metro. Located roughly 130 kilometres north of Johannesburg, it covers an area of 20,000 hectares, just one percent of the two-million-hectare Kruger National Park. It’s not only a sanctuary for these rhinos, but also an important source of jobs for many locals from Hammanskraal and the greater Dinokeng area, including the small mining town of Cullinan. Previously owned by livestock and crop farmers, the reserve has been 20 years in the making. What began as a public-private partnership that took shape in the early 2000s, culminated in the declaration of the Dinokeng Game Reserve in 2011 as a unique collaboration between around 180 private landowners and the government-backed management company, Blue IQ.
To make the reserve self-sustaining, it will have to be doubled in size to at least 40,000 hectares, which entails convincing more farmers to drop their fences for wildlife to roam more freely. “Another 964 hectares belonging to the Gauteng Department of Public Works is to join Dinokeng and we are in discussions with the SA army to incorporate another 12,000 hectares of their land,” explains Hartogh Streicher, chairperson of the reserve.
The latest translocation not only strengthens the gene pool of rhinos in Dinokeng, but also reduces the pressure on more heavily populated areas, thus promoting the species’ long-term health. But that’s not all. As large herbivores, rhinos help to shape the vegetation structure of savannahs by grazing on grasses, which store over 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial carbon. This dynamic contributes to biodiversity by maintaining balanced food webs and providing habitats for a range of other animals.
African Parks’ Rhino Rewild initiative represents a vital contribution to reversing the decline of this iconic species, and with continued support from governments, conservationists, and the global community, the future of southern white rhinos is looking brighter than ever. Ultimately, translocations like the one demonstrate that careful and coordinated efforts can make a significant impact in safeguarding the survival of rhinos and restoring the ecosystems that sustain them.
This article by Lindsay Patterson was first published by Earth Touch Network on 21 November 2024. Lead Image: A conservation team works on safely releasing a rhino after its successful relocation to Dinokeng Game Reserve. Image © Wiki West / WeWild Africa.
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