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: |
Ecology - Population |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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A game count in 1961 produced a population estimate of 300 for Hluhluwe, with densities ranging from 0.6 to 1.7 rhinos/ km?. The same year a population crash occurred in the north-eastern area of the reserve with 46 animals dying over a four month period. These events were reported by Peter Hitchins who also found that numbers continued to decline in Hluhluwe during the dry cycle of the late 1960s, so that by 1972 the estimate was 199. Over the same period numbers increased to about 129 in Umfolozi. The overall density in 1972 of 0.36 rhinos/ km? for Hluhluwe-Umfolozi was still far higher than found elsewhere in Africa. e.g. Masai Mara Game Reserve 0.1/ km? , Olduvai Gorge 0.002/ km? and Ngorongoro Crater 0.004/ km?. The response of the population over this period and the high population density suggested that the carrying capacity had been reached, at least in Hluhluwe, and this prompted the translocation of 20 black rhinos to Kruger National Park in 1971.
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South Africa celebrates rhino successes
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