South Africa: Measures to Preserve Endangered Black Rhinos in KZN

BuaNews (Tshwane)
May 3, 2006
Chris Khumalo
Pietermaritzburg

KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Environmental Affairs MEC Gabriel Ndabandaba has announced a massive programme to increase the number of black rhinos in the province's game reverses and to save this world-renowned species from extinction.

Delivering his budget speech in the legislature yesterday, Prof Ndabandaba, said this black rhino expansion programme was being undertaken in partnership with international conservation organisations.

This partnership involved Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, international conservation organisation WWF and was supported by Mazda Wildlife Fund.

"It has been hailed as one of the most significant current black rhino conservation initiatives in Africa and follows on the successful history of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in bringing the Southern white rhino back from the brink of extinction," said Prof Ndabandaba.

He told the legislature that the first founder population of 15 black rhino from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife with an estimated value of R7.5 million were released in 2004 on to Munyawana Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal and was doing well.

"The second founder population of 21 black rhino with an estimated value of R10.5 million was released in 2005 on to the 24 000 hectare Zululand Rhino Reserve, which is made up of 20 neighbouring properties whose owners removed their internal fences in order to create a significant, barrier-free haven for endangered species, including the lack rhino," said Prof Ndabandaba.

The third site of the project, he said, was expected to be the Emakhosini Ophathe Heritage Park, a combined venture between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Amafa KwaZulu Natal that aimed to celebrate the cultural and natural history of the Zulu nation and promote sustainable job creation and economic growth in the Ulundi region.

"Through the project, 46 kilometres of fencing around the Park have been erected. These are currently being electrified to make the greater park ready to receive 11 black rhino estimated at a value of R5.5 million later this year," explained Prof Ndabandaba.

He added that if sufficient conservation, monitoring and security arrangements were in place in time, the founder population would be released towards the end of 2006, making the park home to a significant black rhino population.

The MEC further said the province was involved in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park Initiative (Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project (uThukela, uMgungundlovu and Sisonke Districts).

This is a five-year World Bank funded project (2003 to 2007) in collaboration with Lesotho, the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces with a US 7.8 million Dollar grant and R16.9 million co-financing from South Africa.

Prof Ndabandaba assured the legislature that a process had been initiated to derive an exit strategy for this phase of the project at an international level that would include the appointment of an international coordinator who would be funded by both countries.

He said the area would then be declared a bioregion through the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and this avenue would be explored as an outcome of the bioregional planning process.

"The latter will also be introduced to the local municipalities who fall within the bioregion in order to have the outcomes integrated into their planning mechanisms," he said.

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