Brooks, M., 1983. South Africa celebrates rhino successes. Newsletter of the African Elephant and Rhino Group 2: 15-16
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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - South Africa |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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At a time when the black rhinoceros is under extreme pressure and declining rapidly over much of its range in Africa, ilt is encouraging to know that in Natal the reverse situation is found. This Province, lying along the north-eastern seaboard of South Africa, contains the active nucleus of the black rhinoceros population south of the Limpopo River. Since 1962, the Natal Parks, Game and Fish Preservation Board has provided rhinos from certain of the Zulu land reserves for re-introduction into other conservation areas within the former range of the species. The importance of Natal's rhino was highlighted by Peter Hitchins in 1975 by his statement that out the 439 black rhinos in the Republic 400 occurred in Natal. While not very significant at that time in terms of the total population in Africa, the continuing decline of the species elsewhere has focussed attention on this population and its role in providing excess animals for conservation. The current population in Natal stands at about 420, distributed between the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi (?300), Mkuzi (?60) and Ndumu Game Reserves (?30), and ltala (?25) and Weenen Nature Reserves (4). Apart from the newly established populations in ltala and Weenen, the remainder have remained fairly stable over the last 10 to 15 years.
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South Africa celebrates rhino successes
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