Rhino Conservation

Rhinos have been driven to near extinction – the world rhino population has fallen by more than 90 percent in the past 30 years. Whereas 30 species of rhino once roamed the planet, only five remain today, and all of them are endangered. In Africa, only the black rhinoceros and white rhinoceros still exist.

What’s the cause of the rhino’s precipitous decline? Not the habitat loss or food supply disruption that affects so many African animals. Rather, it is man’s relentless pursuit of the animal’s unique horn that poses the single most dangerous threat to rhinos today.

AWF has been at the forefront of rhino conservation for decades. In the 1970s, when demand for rhino horn skyrocketed, AWF recognized this alarming development and joined with other organizations to launch conservation measures.

Despite these efforts, rhinos stood at the brink of extinction by the mid-1980s. AWF and other conservationists agreed that the only way to ensure their survival was to secure them in protected areas such as sanctuaries. Today, thanks to these rhino areas and the work of conservationists around the world, African rhinos are recovering from threat of extinction. Though populations remain small, the outlook for rhinos is good. With the support of a host of governments, communities, scientists, and conservation organizations, AWF continues to catalyze efforts to save the rhino.

Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary
Not only is the eastern black rhino highly endangered, it is also isolated in small populations in Kenya and northern Tanzania. AWF-supported havens like Kenya’s Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary could guarantee the future of the species. The aim is to have rhinos breed without the threat of poachers, ultimately rebuilding the population by reintroducing them into the wild.

From three rhinos in 1986, Ngulia has grown to 70 individuals protected by an electric fence. More than half of the rhinos now in the Sanctuary were born there. AWF works to ensure that the Sanctuary has long-term funding, a vehicle, radio sets, binoculars, and housing for staff and rangers.

Explore this Rhino Sanctuary and see how you can help Ngulia's rhinos. Go>>

Hwange National Park
The 90 black rhinos in the Sinamatela Intensive Protection Zone in Zimbabwe have been a frequent target for well-armed poachers. An unstable political environment, economic decline, lack of financial support, and the on-going transformation of Zimbabwe’s National Parks Department into a self-sustaining authority has made comprehensive protection of the rhinos in this area nearly impossible.

In 2004, at a time when political instability caused many conservation organizations to pull out of Zimbabwe, AWF stepped forth to stop the rhino carnage. With funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rhino and Tiger Fund, AWF improved anti-poaching efforts through 24-hour monitoring, ranger training, and equipping park staff with tools and supplies. As a result, no new poaching incidents have been reported here since 2004.

Explore this rhino Protection Zone and see how you can help Hwange's rhinos. Go>>

Ngorongoro Crater
In Tanzania, AWF and its partners are saving one of the last populations of the eastern black rhino. AWF is helping the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority improve rhino surveillance by constructing ranger posts, training rhino program staff in the use of GPS, and improving communication in the field to enhance rangers’ ability to track rhino both in and outside the Crater. AWF is also working with the authorities to develop a rhino conservation and management plan for the Crater.