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- Thirteen baby rhinoceros have been born as part of a black rhino rescue program.
- There are 270 black rhinos kept in special places.
- Poaching has declined to its lowest level in five years.
While it is too early to say that rhinos are out of the woods of extinction, there is reason to celebrate as efforts to rescue the species continue in South Africa.
On Tuesday, World Rhino Day, the World Wildlife Fund in South Africa (WWF) announced the birth of no fewer than 13 calves at various facilities in South Africa.
The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project was a collaborative effort to protect rhinos and move them to safer habitats.
“This is why WWF partnered with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife almost two decades ago,” said WWF project leader Dr. Jacques Flamand.
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There were 13 partner sites that housed 270 black rhinos and the locations had to be kept secret due to the risk of poaching.
Poachers arrested
According to the Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, 594 rhinos were lost in 2019, up from 769 in 2018, and well above the peak of 1,215 poached in 2014, according to the then department of environmental affairs.
Responding to the February results of this year, Minister Barbara Creecy said: “The decline in poaching for five consecutive years is a reflection of the diligent work of the men and women who risk their lives daily to combat poaching. of rhinos, in direct contact with ruthless poachers. “
In 2019, 178 poachers were arrested in Kruger Park alone, while nationally, the number arrested for poaching and trafficking was 332.
Thirty-eight people were sentenced to more than 11 years behind bars in 2019 and several high-profile cases were still pending.
As a result of a multitude of efforts, including regional cooperation, the black rhino population had risen to 5,500 from 2,500 25 years ago, WWF said.
“We decided to increase the distribution of the black rhino to increase its growth rate and the number of critically endangered species. It started slowly and has required a lot of work and commitment from many partners. We are now beginning to see the results we expected,” he said Flamand.
But the organization struggled with a strong vacancy rate that had an impact on its ability to beat poachers, according to its annual report.
“The moratorium on filling vacant positions has resulted in a 30% vacancy rate that is impacting the entity’s operations. This is being felt most in our protected areas as our dwindling police forces fight to combat the scourge of rhino poaching on the ground, “wrote President Dr. William Mngoma.
Despite the challenges, data from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife showed that black rhino populations were increasing, albeit more on private or communal lands, than on state lands.
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