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Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has resolved to donate 10 white rhinos to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in line with a rhino regional conservation programme.

In a telephone interview, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management National spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said the move is meant to reintroduce rhinos which had become extinct in the DRC.

He said the 10 rhinos, which have not yet left the country, are being translocated from Lake Chivero and Kyle Recreational parks as well as Matopo National Park.

Rhinos at Lake Chivero and Kyle are almost reaching their ecological carrying capacity and the translocation is part of destocking in line with the country’s National Rhino Conservation and Management Strategy.

“I can confirm that we will be donating four of our rhinos from Matopo Game Park to the DRC. According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Rhino Specialist Group, 98 percent of the world’s white rhino population occurs in just four countries worldwide and that is South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Thus, Zimbabwe is one of the major white rhino range states hence a source country for rhino range expansion to other countries or private stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Farawo said the translocation is being done in adherance to local and international wildlife translocation protocols particularly the IUCN rhino pre-translocation guidelines and the African Rhino Range States’ African Rhino Conservation Plan.

“Zimbabwe as a major rhino range state, and in line with the African Rhino Range States’ African Rhino Conservation Plan, is translocating the rhinos in an effort to expand the regional rhino range area. The expansion of national and regional rhino range areas is one of the goals of the African Rhino Conservation plan,” said Mr Farawo.

He described the exercise as a deliberate effort to enhance the security and genetic proliferation of the species at regional level.

Mr Farawo said Zimbabwe is one of the important rhino range countries in the world and has recorded a steady population growth of both white and black rhinos.

“In the recent past, Zimbabwe has been instrumental in restocking of new and rehabilitated former range areas such as the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Eight (8) black rhinos were sent to the Okavango Delta in 2016 as part of the 20 country to country rhino donation to Botswana. The regional restocking exercise done by Zimbabwe is important in showing the goodwill and rhino conservation success story synonymous with the country,” he said.

Mr Farawo said the donation was an effort to help the DRC Government rebuild its rhino population as the northern white rhino, the type of rhino that was found in that country, was completely wiped out by poachers.

“The Zimbabwean Government is aware that DRC lost its northern white rhino population to extinction largely due to poaching. However, for this exercise, a management and scientific assessment of the security and law enforcement status and potential biological proliferation of the rhinos was done to inform the translocation requirements.
Since the northern white rhino went extinct in the DRC there are no fears of gene dilution with the rhinos intended to be translocated from Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The security and law enforcement status of the receiving property was assessed based on the local (Zimbabwe) and international standard pre- translocation requirements. The Zimbabwean Government was satisfied that the pre and post-translocation conditions in DRC met the requisite standards for a successful re-establishment of rhinos in that country.” — @andile_tshuma