Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt - June 2003

When gentle giants travel - Black Rhinos return to Zambia 

On Wednesday, 28 May 2003, a large Hercules cargo plane landed in the middle of North Luangwa National Park. On board were five black rhinos flown from the Kruger National Park, which will form the nucleus of a new rhino population in Zambia.

An elaborate program was organized to receive the rhinos in style: little plays and songs by the children from the surrounding villages (including one song about how this reintroduction is a big challenge for Zambia but also a great contribution to the conservation of Zambia’s wildlife heritage), speeches by the German ambassador, the South African High Commissioner, the Zambian Minister for Tourism, Environment and Resources, a delegation of SANP (South Africa National Parks) and the Director general of the Zambian Wildlife Authorities (ZAWA).

When the aircraft landed, anticipation was high and after much rearranging and improvisation, the rhinos were safely moved from the plane to a small boma, in which they will spend their first days. 16 years of persistent conservation work preceded this historic event on 28. May 2003. The black rhino, eradicated from Zambia through poaching, was reintroduced into the North Luangwa National Park last week. Through the facilitation of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, SANParks has given 5 black rhinos to Zambia, to support ZAWA in their conservation efforts and to strengthen regional cooperation in wildlife conservation. SANParks in their turn has received 2 rhinos from the Frankfurt Zoo with another on due to arrive in South Africa at the end of June. These will bolster the genetic make-up of SANPark's wild stock and Frankfurt Zoo is playing an important role in field-based conservation.

Over many years, Frankfurt Zoological Society's North Luangwa Conservation Programme, in partnership with the Zambian Wildlife Authority, has succeeded in creating a stable and secure environment in North Luangwa National Park for the reintroduction of the black rhino to be a success, and rhino will soon inhabit the varied habitats of the Luangwa River valley again.

Background information 

The Luangwa Valley was home to a very large population of black rhino, before a wave of poaching swept the continent in the 1970s and 80's, eradicating black rhinos from Zambia completely. Since then conservation efforts have brought about many changes and circumstances allow for this animal to return to a safe environment within Zambia.

“Today, after 16 years of intensive conservation work by the FZS’s North Luangwa Conservation Project, North Luangwa National Park is a secure place for the rhinos, a well trained ranger force protecting the park. In a unique operation partners in Frankfurt and Africa have cooperated to reintroduce these charismatic animals into a National Park in Zambia” says Christof Schenck, Director of the FZS. In an official ceremony a joint declaration on the Reintroduction of Black Rhinos in Zambia was signed by all partners involved in this ground-breaking venture: the Frankfurt Zoological Society (Dr. Christof Schenck), the Zoo Frankfurt (Dr. Christian Schmidt, Dorector), the Zambian Wildlife Authority (Hapenga Kabeta, Director General) and the South African National Parks (Hector Magome, Director Conservation Service). Cooperation Zambia-South Africa-Frankfurt

The reintroduction of the black rhino (Diceros bicornis minor) in Zambia was possible through the cooperation of several different countries: South Africa, Zambia and Germany (Frankfurt Zoo). Under the direction of the FZS, five rhinos were given to the Zambian Wildlife Authorities to support their conservation and species protection efforts in North Luangwa.

In a counter-move, the two-year-old rhino cow born in the Frankfurt zoo (Hama) flies to South Africa on a Lufthansa Cargo sponsored flight at the end of June. South Africa retains the largest number of this subspecies of the southern black rhino, which originally occurred in Zambia too, and is thus able to provide animals for reintroduction. In about three years, Hama will reach reproductive age and rejuvenate the South African rhino gene pool. Hama follows her siblings Akura and Dzimba that were brought to South Africa from Frankfurt in past years as part of this program.

Gentle giants with transmitters in their horns

For months preparations in South Africa have been under way: "The animals were caught some weeks ago in the south of the Kruger National Park and Marakele", says FZS rhino expert Dr. Pete Morkel. The veterinarian heads the translocations in close cooperation with the Rhino Specialist Group of the global nature conservation organization IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).

The animals were anaesthetized from a helicopter by a specialist team of the National Park, looked after immediately by a veterinarian and prepared for the big trip in an enclosure in the Kruger National Park. "Only animals that are really relaxed and healthy and are eating properly, may fly", says Morkel. In their new home, the animals will spend the first six weeks in a holding enclosure under veterinarian supervision where their condition is monitored after the stress of the flight and while they are getting used to the browse and conditions of their new environment before they move into a larger enclosure. An approximately 40 kilometre long, solar-run electro fence is to keep them inside this enclosure. Eventually the fence will be taken down and the whole expanse of the North Luangwa National Park will be available to them.

These five animals are only a beginning. "In the next years the number is to be expanded by a further 15 animals, so that in the long run a viable population emerges", says Morkel. The five founders of the new Zambian rhino family will have little transmitters implanted in their horns before their final release to freedom, so that their movements and condition can always be monitored. The reintroduction of a species and the continuous monitoring of the success are subject to exact guidelines determined by the IUCN.

Immense logistical efforts in the park North Luangwa Conservation Programme (NLCP) follows an integrated approach to supporting the Zambian Wildlife Authorities (ZAWA) in the conservation and management of North Luangwa National Park. This support includes supplying equipment for scouts, vehicles and vehicle maintenance, provision and maintenance of a communication network, a building programme for scout houses as well as wildlife and law enforcement monitoring. The FZS invests approximately 300,000 Euro annually into the North Luangwa Conservation Project. Today a trained ranger force of 142, equipped with the necessary infrastructure of vehicles and communication equipment, enforce security in the park. In preparation for the rhino transfers a special rhino protection unit was trained.

Frankfurt Zoological Society of 1858

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is a globally active nature conservation organization. Our work originates from the commitment of a great German conservationist: Professor Dr. Bernhard Grzimek. After WW II he became Director of the Frankfurt Zoo and later President of the Society, which was originally founded to support the Zoo. But with his dedication to wildlife in Africa, he gave the society a new goal. One of the greatest achievements of Bernhard Grzimek was that he was able to convey the fragile beauty of the African wilderness to so many people. With his book and film “Serengeti shall not die” Grzimek started to raise awareness for nature and wildlife in Africa. His dream to preserve the Serengeti, with its millions of animals, as the world’s biggest migratory system is our responsibility even today. Grzimeks “Help for Threatened Wildlife” meanwhile has become one of Europe’s largest Conservation Foundations, and thus his legacy will be sustained in perpetuity. Grzimeks dream to preserve the fascinating wildlife and wilderness of Africa for humanity was partially realised with the reintroduction of the black rhinos into Zambia.

For further information, please contact:

Dagmar Andres-Bruemmer

Headquarters, Germany

Tel: + 49 69 9434 4611

Fax: +49 69 439 348

andres-bruemmer@zgf.de

© Afrikeye 1999 - 2007 (certain items under permission of original copyright owner)

home  privacy about legal contact