Mombo Rhino Project :: Botswana Rhino Relocation Project
Mombo Camp Okavanga Delta Botswana
Populations of rhinos have declined throughout Africa due to demand and over-hunting for their valuable horns. Due to inadequate protection, rhinos have become extinct in several former range states, including Botswana, where both black and white rhinos have become extinct at different times in the 20th century.
Since the mid 1990's conservation of white rhinos in fenced sanctuaries has proved successful through collaboration between the private sector and the Government of Botswana, and will provide the foundation for continued growth of existing rhino populations, and the establishment of new ones in the future. One such project is the proposal to re-introduce white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) to the Mombo Medium Density Tourism Zone (Mombo) and to establish a healthy and sustainable free-ranging population of rhino upon the Chief's Island region of the Moremi Game Reserve.
Wilderness Safaris (vacationtechnician.com partner) primary objective, as the promoter of this reintroduction project, is to re-establish this locally extinct and important species in the Okavango Delta, the only species known to have been exterminated from the area. The result of this project would contribute towards the maintenance of the bio-diversity of the Mombo region, through the management and conservation of endangered species.
The success of the project will determine whether this region becomes an important release site for further re-introduction programmes within the country in the future. This programme will be carried out by means of full liaison with and approval by the appropriate Botswana Government authorities (including the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and the Tawana Land Board).
The successful re-introduction of rhino to Chief's Island will be a unique example of co-operation between the private sector and Government and local authorities in an important conservation venture. Standards will be set for the region and it will cement Botswana's position as one of Africa's leaders in conservation and tourism.
This proposal contains the history of rhinos in Botswana, and covers every aspect of the project, including the reintroduction programme and its constraints, as well as the general management of the programme.
THE HISTORY OF RHINO IN BOTSWANA
The White Rhino and the Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) occurred in northern Botswana until relatively recently. The Black Rhino seems to have been rare and confined to the Kwando-Chobe areas, but the White Rhino population was widespread and common throughout northern Botswana in the middle of the last century.
As a result of indiscriminate shooting of rhino, mainly by sport hunters, both species were reduced to very low numbers by the 1960s. A re-introduction programme began in 1967 when four White Rhino were introduced from Natal. Between 1974 and 1981, the Botswana Government, with support from Natal Parks Board, re-introduced a total of 71 White Rhino into Chobe National Park and 19 into Moremi Game Reserve. The animals were released directly from the transfer crates; many wandered considerable distances in search of suitable habitat, and some died.
When given the normal rate of increase of this species, the rhino population should have increased to about 200 in 1992 and about 400 today. However, by 1992, it was evident that the majority of the White Rhino population had either died or been killed by illegal hunters. It should be remembered that the 1980s saw a wave of illegal off-take of elephants and rhinos sweeping down from eastern Africa to Zambia, Mozambique and Angola. Botswana, Zimbabwe and, to a lesser extent, South Africa were affected by incursions from these areas and became conduits for the illegal traffic in ivory and rhino horn. As a result, the rhino populations of northern Botswana were greatly reduced.
A survey carried out by the Natal Parks Board in 1992 found only 19 White Rhino. Black Rhino appear to have become extinct by this time. At this stage, the Botswana Government developed a three-stage policy for the conservation of White Rhino:
* To capture as many surviving White Rhino as possible and translocate them to protected sanctuaries such as the Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe and the Mokolodi Private Game Reserve near Gabarone;
* To allow the populations in these sanctuaries to increase, while effective protection was implemented in the national parks and game reserves, through effective law enforcement and the provision of conservation incentives to local communities and other strata of society; and,
* When it is safe to do so, to re-introduce populations of White Rhino from the protected sanctuaries back into the wild in the national parks and game reserves.
Implementation of the first stage of this policy was initiated in 1993, with the capture and translocation of the remaining White Rhino, of which there were four, from the Chobe National Park to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. A sub-adult male subsequently died as a result of gun shot wounds inflicted by illegal hunters prior to capture. Between 1994 and 1996, three more rhino were relocated to the Khama Sanctuary from Moremi Game Reserve, while three remained uncaptured in the area.
In June 1995, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary received five more White Rhino from North West Parks Board of South Africa. There are currently 29 White Rhino held in protected sanctuaries in Botswana, of which 28 are under private management and 1 under Government management. These rhino are located in the following areas:
* Khama Rhino Sanctuary 16
* Mokolodi Private Game Reserve 9
* Gaborone Game Reserve 1
* Gantzi (private game farm) 3
The policy of re-introducing White Rhino to the wild was formalized in an internal strategy paper prepared by the Botswana Department of Wildlife.
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