ISUE OF THE DAY: SGR embarks on an ambitious initiative to relocate black rhino in the Serengeti


LUCAS LIGANGA
Serengeti

THE Singita Grumeti Reserve (SGR), situated in the heart of one of the most significant great annual migration routes in the Serengeti, has embarked on an ambitious relocation initiative of the endangered black rhinoceros, scientifically known as diceros bicornis michaeli.

The ambitious project is being carried out under the leadership of conservationist Brian Harris, Grumeti Fund Managing Director, who says: ’’The black rhino subspecies that live in the area were in danger of becoming extinct through poaching and various other factors.’’

The Grumeti Fund’s vision is the rehabilitation and maintenance of the indigenous biodiversity of the western Serengeti-Mara ecosystem to the benefit of local communities and districts, national and international stakeholders, through practices that are both ecologically and financially sustainable and politically acceptable.

He says in the 1960s, there were 1,200 of these giant black mammals in the Serengeti ecosystem, but poaching reduced this number to 42.

’’Today, however, the number has increased to 84,’’ says Harris, adding the SGR has managed to acquire 32 rhinos from South Africa and will, in a joint effort with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), the Frankfurt Zoological Society in Germany, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and the Wildlife Division in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, be relocating the rhinos to the Serengeti beginning with 10 in November, this year.

’’This is the biggest single relocation of black rhinos in history and this exciting initiative could not have been carried out if it was not for Singita Grumeti Reserves, which provided the majority of the finance,’’ says the conservationist.

In June 2007, two captive bred black rhinos (a five-year-old male and a five-year-old female), whose forefathers had their origins in East Africa, were purchased from an animal sanctuary at Port Lympne in the United Kingdom and flown to Sasakwa in the Serengeti through Kenya.

These rhinos are currently in a sanctuary area and have settled down and are completely dehumanized, have adapted to and are browsing entirely on natural browse, and to date they have successfully withstood their greatest challenge of disease.

The two rhinos are planned to be released into the wild this year, finally giving effect to the objectives of the original ’save the rhino programme’ of returning the zoo bred East African black rhinos back to their homesteads, once adequate levels of security has been re-established.

According to Harris, the first requirement was to tackle the poaching scourge, addressed over the past five years by formation of a formidable anti-poaching unit, set up by the Grumeti Fund.

’’What is so fascinating about this initiative, is that the unit comprises mainly reformed poachers,’’ says Harris, adding: ’’These men went through extensive training in conservation and were issued with the best equipment available, which resulted in poaching being almost completely eradicated from the area.’’


The SGR also focused on job creation for local community members at its lodges of Sasakwa, Sabora and Faru Faru, and the need to hunt for living has been replaced by more sustainable alternatives.

Harris says the next challenge was to garner support from national and regional government authorities, which was made possible once the politicians understood the greater vision of the SGR.

He adds that another major task was to set up an extensive wildlife monitoring programme and the dedicated team of Singita Grumeti Reserves has been instrumental in setting up the necessary measures.

Harris says success in this area is evident in the census figures that reveal great increases in the number of wildlife species in the Serengeti ecosystem area.

For example, says the conservationist, in 2003 there were 605 buffaloes in the area but the number had gone up to 3,124 in 2007, the Thomson’s Gazelle population has increased from 3,480 to 12,162, and Eland have increased from 254 to 1,211 during the period under review.

With all the major objectives having been achieved over the past three years, the SGR is now in a position to fulfill its dream of the proposed rhino relocation as the livelihood of the local communities is closely linked to the success of conservation in the area.

’’SGR believes that in order to be sustainable, it is essential for conservation areas to remain viable through funding brought about by tourism activities,’’ he says.

To this end, adds Harris, the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Fund is committed to demonstrating to local communities that by preserving their wildlife, everyone stands to reap the rewards.

The SGR is located in northern Tanzania and forms part of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, bordering on the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park which is Africa’s number one World Heritage Site.

There are three Singita lodges in the Grumeti Reserves concession that spans over 350,000 acres of untouched wilderness.

The Serengeti is also home to 25 species of large carnivores, 40 herbivore species and over 500 types of birds, including five endemic species with an impressively large number of raptors�that form the highest concentration in Africa.