Abstract

Tanzania had many black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) in the 1960s but was hit by ruthless poaching between the 1970s and late 1980s. From the 1990s, the country declared a war against unscrupulous poachers in order to conserve the few remaining rhinos. The current strategy is to reintroduce black rhinos that were originally from East Africa in order to increase genetic diversity. Three translocations of black rhinos between 1997 and 2001 involved 10 animals from South Africa, two of which were reintroduced to Ngorongoro Crater and eight to Mkomazi National Park. In 2007, two black rhinos from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, UK, were introduced into a sanctuary adjacent to Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserves. In June 2009, three black rhinos from the Czech Republic were translocated to Mkomazi National Park. Another translocation operation is expected to begin in May 2010 whereby 32 black rhinos will be translocated into the Serengeti ecosystem from Thaba Tholo, Thabazimbi, South Africa. Although the first five translocation operations went well, the challenge is the management of the reintroduced rhinos amid the growing social-ecological pressures affecting protected areas. Management authorities should consider the recommended sex ratio for rhino populations to avoid excessive male aggression.

Keywords: Black rhinos, conservation, poaching, translocation