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.
Wild Care Africa — South Africa
In 1986 Karen Trendler established the Animal Rehabilitation Centre (ARC)
just north of Pretoria, South Africa. At this time wildlife rehabilitation
was a relatively new and indeed a somewhat controversial field of endeavor.
ARC grew at a phenomenal rate and among its achievements the Centre successfully
raised a prematurely born black rhino calf in 1992. Since it's inception
in 1986 of ARC (WILDCARE) has treated more than 70,000 various wildlife
cases at its small centre in Pretoria, with a further 50,000 being treated
in various locations internationally.
Today, Wild Care Africa has 23 rhinos it is caring for, both black and white species. Tandi, the newest addition, a female black rhino calf, is pictured here. The BRF would like to sponsor her through the help of your generous donations.
For more information on Wild Care Africa visit their website: www.wildcareafrica.org.
Past Projects
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.foc-uk.com/whatwedo/footprint.html.