![]() Working alongside the rangers at the Makalali Game Reserve is the K9 unit – an extremely successful dog anti-poaching team. Field rangers are the front line of defence against poaching, meaning, on a day-to-day basis, they put their lives at risk to protect rhinos from armed and violent poachers. To monitor and prevent this, Richard takes DNA samples from each rhino so he can keep track of their gene pool and make sure that when the rhinos are relocated, there is the best possible variety of genetics.Ī large proportion of Richard’s work focuses on anti-poaching efforts which include field rangers, K9 units, dehorning and the implementation of high-tech equipment. Whilst building up the population is important Richard is cautious of avoiding a “gene bottle neck” which is when the genetic diversity of the species becomes too limited, an issue which is believed to have already occurred twice. The project has worked to establish new populations through translocations-the process of moving rhinos from parks with significant populations to others that historically held rhinos but currently do not – and where there is sufficient anti-poaching protection. Since the early 2000s, black rhinos at Makalali have been part of the rhino conservation project led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). To get an idea of what rhino conservation looks like from a hands-on perspective, we spoke to with Richard Sachse who is Head of Rhino Operations at the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve – located in the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. Wildlife crime, in this case, poaching and black-market trafficking of rhino horn, continues to plague the species and threaten their recovery. However, the black rhino is still considered to be critically endangered, and a lot more work is needed to increase the numbers to even a fraction of what they once were. Since then, we’ve witnessed an immense revival of black rhinos from the brink of extinction. More recent studies have shown that the horn is being used as a symbol of status among the immensely wealthy.īetween 1960 – 1995, the discovery that black rhino numbers dropped by a staggering 98% to 2,500 galvanised those on the front line to act. The biggest demand comes from China, Vietnam, and Yemen where the horn is traditionally believed to have many powerful uses – ranging from an aphrodisiac to a cure for illnesses like headaches, fever, cancer and even impotence. Worth USD $14,000 – $21,500 per kilogram – the horns are a precious commodity on the black market. Whilst the white rhino remains one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories, that of the black rhino is bleak and unforgiving – from a population decline at the hands of European hunters and settlers in the 20 th century, to an ongoing mass killing fuelled by the illicit rhino horn trade.ĭesperate to get their hands on the animals’ horns, poachers kill an estimated 1,000 rhinos each year.
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