Lewa Wildlife Conservancy — Kenya
Ian & Jane Craig
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy started out as a rhino sanctuary, named Ngare Sergoi Black Rhino Sanctuary, back in 1983. Founded by Anna Merz, she persuaded the Craig family, who own Lewa, to set aside some 5,000 acres as a rhino sanctuary. To date, there are 34 black rhino present (6% of the national population) and the black rhino remains Lewa's flagship species. This population has provided individuals for translocation to other protected areas, where new populations are being established.

By 1994 the whole of Lewa Downs as well as the government-owned Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve had been enclosed within a 2, 5-meter-high electric fence, creating a 61,000 acre rhino sanctuary. For three and a half years Anna hand-reared a female black rhino calf that had been abandoned at birth by its mother, and then successfully reintroduced her into the wild. The rhino, called Samia, subsequently mated with a wild rhino and had a calf, named Samuel. Tragically, both mother and calf plunged to their deaths over a steep cliff in 1995. Lewa relies on direct support from donors, as well as tourism income for its operations in conserving Kenya's wildlife.

For more information visit their website www.lewa.org.

Sebakwe Black Rhino Trust — Zimbabwe
John & Annie Gripper

The Trust was formed in 1989 to help establish and secure a black rhino conservancy in the Midlands regions of Zimbabwe in southern Africa, where a breeding group of rhino could be established under free and natural conditions but fully protected from poachers. Anna Merz and Jane Goodall are Patrons of this organization.

The Trust has contributed to the development of a population of black rhino in the Midlands Conservancy with an average annual growth rate of 6.5%. This has been achieved through working with the local farmers, the Governor, National Parks and the local schools. The Conservancy currently is home to 60 black rhino.

Visit their website at www.blackrhino.org and learn more about SBRT.

RHINOWATCH — Namibia
Dr. Sky Alibhai and Dr. Zoë Jewell

Rhinowatch was established in 1991 to census and monitor black rhino populations in Zimbabwe in conjunction with the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Management (DNPWLM). At the time population estimates of black rhinos were based on non-specific surveys and there was an urgent need to establish more accurate figures. Rhinowatch is especially interested in the application of non-invasive techniques, and developed a rhino footprint identification technique which has given a very high degree of accuracy for both censusing and monitoring (Jewell, Alibhai and Law, 2001).

Interest in the application of non-invasive techniques for wildlife monitoring has been fostered by Rhinowatch research findings that repeated immobilization of female black rhino for invasive management (primarily radio-collaring) has a negative impact on their fertility (Alibhai, Jewell & Towindo, 2001). Similarly data showed that radio-collars had a very high failure rate (Alibhai & Jewell, 2001).

In the last 11 years Rhinowatch has worked in Zimbabwe and Namibia, on black and white rhino. Last year Rhinowatch began to develop the footprint identification technique for Tigers, and plan to extend the range and scope of the technique further whilst continuing our rhino work. The research centre is currently based in Portugal.

For more information visit www.wildtrack.org.