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 species remain today, and all of them are endangered. In Africa, only the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) still exist.
The Challenge
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.
Saving the Rhino
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 the 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.
Providing Safe Havens
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.
Hwange National Park
The worldwide population of black rhinos is estimated to be only 4,240, and the 4th largest population is found in Zimbabwe where there are approximately 430. The black rhinos in the Sinamatella Intensive Protection Zone in Zimbabwe have been a frequent target for well-armed poachers, and because of this, their numbers have declined to just 26. An unstable political environment, economic decline, lack of financial support, and the on-going transformation of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority into a self-sustaining authority has made comprehensive protection of the rhinos in this area nearly impossible.
AWF has been working since 2004 to stop the rhino carnage in Sinamatella by providing the rhino protection patrol units with basic equipment and supplies. The success of any rhino protection patrol depends heavily on the ability of the patrol teams to communicate with each other and with the control center. Until recently, the eight mobile camps located in Sinamatella had no radio communication, which made coordinating very difficult.
In 2010, AWF supplied the rhino protection patrol units with three solar powered base radios that were installed at the main camps, and hand held radios for each of the eight mobile camps. After being properly equipped with radios and other basic supplies such as food rations and fuel, the rangers were successful in combating poachers during 13 out of 14 known attempts during the project period.
> Explore this rhino Protection Zone and see how you can help Hwange's rhinos.
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 inside and outside the Crater. AWF is also working with the authorities to develop a rhino conservation and management plan for the Crater.
