South Africa: black rhinos in new nature reserve

From the WWF:

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – Twelve black rhino have recently been released into a game reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal, forming the third founder population of a rhino conservation project.

As part of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project — a partnership between WWF and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife — the rhinos were released in the Pongola Game Reserve on 13,000ha of land made up of six neighbouring properties. This adds to 80,000ha of land in KwaZulu-Natal that have been set aside especially for black rhino conservation.

The black rhino, which used to be the most numerous rhino species in the world, became critically endangered following a catastrophic poaching wave in the 1970s and 1980s that wiped out 96 per cent of Africa’s wild black rhino population in only 20 years. At the lowest point, there were just 2,500 black rhinos left. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, numbers have increased to about 3,600.

The WWF-supported rhino project aims to increase black rhino numbers by increasing the land available for their conservation, thus reducing pressure on existing reserves and providing new areas in which they can breed rapidly.

Kenya: British soldiers kill white rhino.

From the Google cache:

Rhino, goat strike unlikely bond

Mon May 23, 2005

KROMDRAAI, South Africa (Reuters) – A pair of orphans have formed an unlikely bond on a South African game park although horns and a love for horse pellets are about the only things they have in common.

Clover is an 11-month-old female [white] rhino calf who was orphaned in the wild when her mother was slain by poachers.

Her constant companion these days is Bok-Bok, a young goat who was also lonely and abandoned.

Improbably, the two made a perfect match and have become inseparable companions at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve about 18 miles northwest of Johannesburg.

Black rhinos in Tanzania: here.

Zimbabwe: April 2011. Game scouts reported a severely wounded black rhino wandering around Save Valley Conservancy. Rangers were despatched to locate the rhino and were met with a horrifying and gruesome sight. The rhino had been shot several times by poachers and the horns had been hacked out: here.

White rhino born in Florida zoo: here.

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