The Somkhanda Game Reserve in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, has completed a large-scale rhino dehorning operation in response to a surge in poaching across the province.
The reserve, known for being the first community-owned game reserve to introduce a black rhino population under the WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) in 2007, undertook this three-day operation in July as part of a broader strategy to counter the region’s poaching crisis.
With 325 rhinos lost to poaching in KwaZulu-Natal in 2023 alone, the urgency for more robust conservation measures has intensified. The dehorning initiative, funded by the Rhino Recovery Fund and supported by key conservation organisations, reflects a growing recognition of the desperate need to protect rhino populations before they face irreversible declines.
Organisations involved in the operation included Wildlife ACT, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, African Wildlife Vets, Zululand Air Patrol (ZAP Wing), and several others. Meiring Prinsloo, managing director of Somkhanda, highlighted the increasing pressures faced by reserves like Somkhanda in combating poaching.
“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,” Prinsloo said.
Dehorning, though controversial, is an established preventative measure that reduces the incentive for poachers by lowering the value of a rhino’s horns. Carried out by experienced veterinarians under sedation, this procedure is crucial in regions like KZN, where poaching has decimated some rhino populations entirely.
“Intensive, on-the-ground monitoring along with the use of technology such as tracking devices helps to gather this vital information more effectively, which is then used to make informed management decisions to better protect these vulnerable animals,” said Chris du Toit, conservation coordinator at Wildlife ACT.
Additionally, the reserve has integrated advanced tracking technologies into its monitoring framework. With the support of the Rhino Recovery Fund, a solar-powered LoRaWAN system has been installed to enhance coverage across areas with high rhino densities.
This infrastructure, coupled with GPS-enabled tracking pods fitted to key individuals, allows conservation teams to monitor rhinos remotely and respond rapidly to potential threats.
IOL