The re-introduction of the black rhinoceros to North Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Summary

The black rhinoceros, declared nationally extinct in Zambia in 1998 after 1980s poaching eliminated a population that once exceeded 500 in North Luangwa National Park alone, was reintroduced there by the Frankfurt Zoological Society-backed North Luangwa Conservation Program once 17 years of anti-poaching support had brought wildlife numbers up and poaching under control. Twenty rhinos captured from four South African reserves, Kruger, Marakele, Pilanesberg and Great Fish River, were quarantined for four to six weeks to confirm they tolerated confinement and ate provided browse, then flown by transport plane in three batches (2003, 2006, 2008) to a purpose-built electric-fenced sanctuary, fitted with horn-implant radio transmitters and treated prophylactically against trypanosomiasis, to which all the animals were immunologically naive. Vulnerable sub-adults and adult females were released before adult bulls to let them settle first, and pyrethroid-treated tsetse-fly targets were deployed to reduce disease risk; troughs were later provisioned with local browse-mimicking supplements including Kigelia fruit and Euphorbia laced with anti-parasitic medication. Three rhinos died post-release, including two Eastern Cape females that refused to adapt to local browse despite intervention, and one old bull died from a fight with another male years later, but survival during the first year post-release reached 90% with no poaching losses, and by January 2010 five calves had been born against three deaths, several conceived after arrival in Zambia. Major difficulties included securing reliable aircraft logistics, funding pressures, and greater-than-expected nutritional and parasite-related stress in the new environment. The project rates itself Successful, citing strong survival and a growing, breeding population.