The Somkhanda Game Reserve community has worked tirelessly to safeguard the future of rhinos and the rich biodiversity of South Africa.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (19 August 2024) – Somkhanda Game Reserve, a community-owned sanctuary for the stunning Big Five, has launched a major rhino dehorning initiative to combat the escalating poaching crisis.
Situated in Zululand, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Somkhanda Game Reserve was the first Community Game Reserve to welcome a black rhino population as part of WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) in 2007.
This latest dehorning operation marks a significant success, not only for the reserve, but for overall rhino conservation in the KwaZulu-Natal province, which lost an alarming 325 rhinos to poaching in 2023.
Dehorning is a conservation technique used to protect rhinos from poaching. The process involves safely removing a rhino’s horns under sedation. This reduces the horn’s value, deterring poachers. While not ideal, dehorning is a necessary measure to combat the devastating impact of poaching on rhino populations, aiming to safeguard their survival.
A success for rhino conservation in KwaZulu-Natal
The July three-day dehorning operation on Somkhanda Game Reserve, funded by Rhino Recovery Fund and others, is the latest in a series of operations supported by various donors aimed at protecting this rhino population following a substantial increase in poaching numbers in KwaZulu-Natal in 2023.
Meiring Prinsloo, MD of Somkhanda, said
“Due to the increased rhino poaching pressure experienced in KZN during the past few months, we had to drastically intensify our overall counter-poaching measures. This obviously comes at increased, and mostly unplanned, additional costs. Thanks to the Rhino Recovery Fund and Wildlife ACT, additional support was made available to Somkhanda Game Reserve that will definitely aid us in our mission to safeguard our rhino and other wildlife.”
Several key partners were involved in making the operation a success, including Wildlife ACT, PAMCo, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife veterinarian Dr Rowan Leeming, African Wildlife Vets veterinarian Dr Jen Lawrence, Heligistix, Zululand Air Patrol (ZAP Wing), Rhino Recovery Fund, CHEP, Protank, WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, Ford Wildlife Foundation, and Somkhanda Big 5 Tourism.
The successful dehorning operation is a testament to the power of collaboration in protecting the precious gem that is our wildlife.
Sources: Wildlife ACT
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