This
picture of a black rhino at Mana Pools was taken in 1981, when a healthy population
of this species still roamed free in that National Park. Now there are no black
rhino in Mana Pools. They were systematically exterminated by poachers who found
lucrative markets for their horn in Far and Middle East countries. Rhino horn
is sought-after for its medicinal qualities and use in the making of decorative
dagger handles. An emergency Intensive Protection Programme for black rhino
was established in Zimbabwe in the 1990s, and carefully-guarded populations
of this now endangered species are successfully breeding and being re-introduced
to the wild.
