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RHINO

The Zambezi Society has played an active role in rhino conservation in Zimbabwe since 1985 (see our History for a chronology of events). We are a member of the National Rhino Steering Committee in Zimbabwe where we focus our conservation activities on a very important population of rhino in Matusadona National Park.

We implement our rhino conservation activities in Matusadona National Park by

• providing material and logistical support to the Park infrastructure and staff
• assisting with the monitoring of the rhino population with our own experienced rhino trackers
• organising routine immobilisation operations for meta population management
• responding to emergency immobilisations for veterinarian work

Our most recent activities include:

Aug 2007. In fulfilment of a specific activity on the Matusadona Rhino Monitoring Plan, we organised a Waterhole Observation exercise in the Highlands of the park. It was an exercise that had not been attempted before. Having collected data from the proceeding five years, we mapped 66 water points that were monitoring over a four-day period by ninety-eight volunteers, Parks students and Parks Rangers.
May 2007. The field monitoring team have reported the birth of a new calf to a rhino we call Mvura. This is Mvura's first calf.
Apr 2007. The field monitoring team have reported the birth of a new calf to a rhino we call Cleopatra. This is her second calf. With funding from Save the Rhino International, we installed a Fixed Cell Terminal (which utilises cellular telephone technology) at Tashinga, Matusadona National Park Headquaters. This resolves a long outstanding telephone communication problem.
Mar 2007. The Matusadona National Park Rhino Monitoring Plan, was drafted by the Zambezi Society. The monitoring staff now have a template of activities and targeted timelines within which to operate. The plan was endorsed by the Director General of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, along with a request for the Zambezi Society to carry out a Waterhole Observation Exercise in the Highlands area of the Park (one of the activities in the Monitoring Plan).
28th Feb 2007. During the National Rhino Steering Committee, held at the National Parks Headquarter in Harare, we made a presentation of the data collected over the proceeding three years of rhino monitoring.
Dec 2006. We held a meeting with the Chief Ecologist, National Rhino Coordinator and Senior Warden of Matusadona National Park to discuss a monitoring strategy for the rhino population of Matusadona National Park. The Zambezi Society was asked to draft a monitoring plan based on the discussions.
Sep 2006 - . We continue to assist with the monitoring of the black rhino population. The monitoring is carried out by three specialised trackers and a Field Coordinator who are all permanently based at the Park Headquarters
Aug 2006. As part of the National Rhino Strategy, we carried out an immobilisation operation, during which time various rhino were fitted with radio transmitters either in their horns or as collars. Our partners SRI and SAVE Australia contributed to funding the operation.
Dec 2005. Organised for the implant of a radio transmitter into the horn of a rhino. This rhino has walked outside the Park boundary, and so was vulnerable to possible poaching. By inserting a radio transmitter, means that the rhinos movement can now be monitored more closely, and so given effective protection.
Nov 2005 - April 2006. We are currently in the process of carrying out an intensive monitoring project, in an attempt to locate every rhino in the Park, leading up to an immobilisation project for meta population management purposes.
2004. At the request of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, we provided rhino population data for Matusadona National Park, for its inclusion into the IUCN Africa Rhino Specialist Group database.
2002 - Present. We have an ongoing project to assist Matusadona National Park with monitoring the rhino population. We employ three expert trackers who are deployed into the field with National Parks staff for up to ten days, while tracking rhino.
1996 - 2003. Assisted National Parks with a pioneering, intensive hand rearing programme for rhino calf. The programme started with an orphan rhino, and by its end eight more rhino had passed through the programme. As a result of our ongoing monitoring project, we have learnt that two of the females that passed through the programme have had calves, indicating the success of the programme.
Other activities have included translocation of rhino into the Park and within the Park,
Immobilisation operations,
Veterinarian work,
Provide equipment (e.g. tents and sleeping bags)
Infrastructure work, including road maintenance and construction of rhino enclosures (boma).

We depend entirely on project funding and public support to finance our work. Your contribution to our Elephant & Rhino Theme would enable us to continue our support for this vulnerable, endangered species. Donate Now