21 Dec 2007 - There has
been an alarming upsurge in armed poaching
of endangered rhinos primarily in the “Lowveld
Conservancies” in South Eastern Zimbabwe over
the past three years, according to WWF, the
international conservation organization.
Since 2000, 22 black rhinos have been shot
in the Lowveld Conservancies in addition to
45-50 black rhinos that have been shot by
poachers in other conservancies.
A conservancy is formed by a group who pool
their resources to conserve wildlife, adopt
good land use practices and have a stake,
ownership and responsibility for the land
and resources.
“The declining economy in has fuelled the
loss of jobs, particularly on commercial farms
and created an environment that’s conducive
to poaching,” believes Raoul du Toit, Project
Executant, Lowveld Rhinoceros Project, WWF
- Southern Africa Regional Programme Office.
As well as targeted poaching of individual
animals, there have been more than 66 cases
of rhino caught in snares and sometimes fatally
injured in the Lowveld conservancies since
2000.
This is a marked increased since the initiation
of Zimbabwe’s “fast-track” land resettlement
programme Available records show that no black
rhinos were poached in that area between 1993-2000.
Since 2000, people have been allowed settle
into conservancies and enforcement of anti-poaching
controls has been relaxed. According to WWF,
a secondary knock on effect has been an increase
of poaching of other wildlife.
As a way to combat the poaching surge, WWF,
in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, with
funding provided by other partners and agencies,
is now stepping up its drive to protect the
country’s black rhinos.
“Through the Lowveld Rhino Project we intensified
monitoring of rhinos using skilled trackers
and radiotelemetry. We moved rhinos from unsafe
areas, dehorned some of the most at risk rhinos
and collaborated in setting up rapid reaction
units, community awareness programmes and
gave technical support to develop options
for wildlife-based land reform” says Raoul
du Toit.
Despite the effects of poaching, this holistic
approach has enabled the Lowveld rhino populations
to achieve some of the highest growth rates
ever recorded, up to 10 per cent per year.
Two of the conservancy established populations
have surpassed the 100 mark.
Currently, Lowveld boasts of 375 black rhinos
– about 10 per cent of the world’s wild population.
Due to the creation of the conservancies,
a number of property owners have now converted
to wildlife. Through the support of the landowners,
black rhino conservation has contributed immensely
to maintaining and improving biodiversity
in these areas as well as helping conserve
other species such buffalo, elephant, wildebeest
and leopard.
"We’re consolidating an approach that
we know works but if we’re not proactive and
cautious, poaching could flare up to such
an extent that it could reverse the rhino
population gains that have been achieved in
Zimbabwe since the mid 11000s," warns
Raoul du Toit.
For further information :
Raoul du Toit, Project Executant, Lowveld
Rhinoceros Project,
WWF - Southern Africa Regional Programme Office
George Kampamba, WWF African Rhino Coordinator
