The Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Black Rhino Range Expansion Project

Background

The black rhinoceros is critically endangered. There are only about 3,100 individuals left in the wild. Many of these live in reserves managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the state conservation organization in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

But their protected areas have finite borders and black rhino are already bumping up against the edges. This could lead to an overshoot of ecological carrying capacity, as well as a density-related decline in population growth rate.

Goals

The WWF/ Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Black Rhino Range Expansion Project aims to increase land available for black rhino conservation, thus reducing pressure on existing reserves and providing new territory in which the animals can rapidly increase in number.

This will be done by forming strategic partnerships with landowners within the historic range of the black rhino. The partners need not have been traditionally involved in conservation, and could come from the state, private or communal sectors.

Once partnership agreements have been signed and sealed, founder populations of up to 20 black rhino will be released simultaneously on to the new sites as this is thought to be optimal for rapid population growth.
 

Vision

The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project incorporates the vision of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife which is: 

"To have a viable metapopulation totaling more than 1000 Diceros bicornis minor throughout its former home range and supported through a shared commitment on private, community and state land in KwaZulu-Natal"