The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project THE black rhinoceros is criticallyendangered. There are only about 3100 individuals left in the wild. Many of these live in reserves managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, one of the world’s most successful black rhino custodians. But the provincial conservation organisation’s protected areas have finite borders and black rhino are already bumping up against the edges of some of them. This could lead to an overshoot of ecological carrying capacity, as well as a density-related decline in population growth rate. The WWF/ Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Black Rhino Range Expansion Project aims to increase land available for black rhino conservation, thus reducing pressure on existing reserves and providing new territory in which the animals can rapidly increase in number. This will be done by forming strategic partnerships with landowners within the historic range of the black rhino. The partners need not have been traditionally involved in conservation, and could come from the state, private or communal sectors. Once partnership agreements have been signed and sealed, founder populations of about 20 black rhino will be released simultaneously on to the new sites as this is thought to be optimal for rapid population growth.  

Rapid population growth can mean the difference between survival and extinction for an endangered species. Faster growth provides a bigger buffer against poaching or natural disaster like disease, fire or flood. It also minimises loss of genetic heterozygosity. Small differences in growth rate of the overall black rhino population make a big difference over time. In order for a black rhino population of 530 (approximately the number of black rhino in KZN) to increase to 1000 individuals, it would take about 22 years at 3% growth, 13 years at 5% growth, 9 years at 8% growth and 7 years at 10% growth.There are four sub-species of black rhino. This project focuses on Diceros bicornis minor.  

VisionThe Black Rhino Range Expansion Project incorporates the vision of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife which is:
To have a viable metapopulation totaling more than 1000 Diceros bicornis minor throughout its former home range and supported through a shared commitment on private, community and state land in KwaZulu-Natal.
 
And the programme goal of WWF’s African Rhino Programme which is:
At least five ‘key’ or metapopulations of black rhinos (of which KwaZulu-Natal is one) increasing at an average rate of 5% per annum through conservation measures that are economically and socio-politically sustainable. 

History
Before the 19th century, there were hundreds of thousands of black rhino across Africa. But they were powerless against the proliferation of modern weapons and their numbers began to dwindle. Even so, there were still more than 65 000 wild black rhino alive in the mid-20th century.

Then, the devastating poaching crisis of the 1970s and 1980s hit. Fuelled by demand for rhino horn in the Middle and Far East; made easier by economic and political chaos in African countries, the slaughter wiped out black rhino populations across the continent. By 1992, there were only 2500 black rhino left. Those that could be reached by poachers had been killed. Those that remained were mostly in heavily protected reserves.

Since those dark days, black rhino numbers have been inching back up in some countries (most black rhino are currently found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe). But there is no room for complacency. Poaching remains an ever-present threat. Demand for rhino horn products continues, although work is being done to try to reduce the demand at source. And while the demand exists, there will be people prepared to exploit it, for reasons of greed and/ or economic necessity. The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project also supports ongoing protection measures for existing black rhino populations.

Some of the greatest threats to rhinos arise from social and economic conditions, including poverty. The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project aims to spread the benefits derived from conserving black rhino to people living in areas around project sites. Partnerships which provide tangible benefits from conservation are essential in current political and economic climates of the developing world. We are also working with educationalists to help instill a culture of care for our beautiful natural heritage and awareness of the importance of biodiversity.