In the 1960s, Zambia’s black rhino population was the third largest in Africa. But just two decades later Zambia’s rhinos were hurtling towards extinction from poaching, and by 1998, several years after the last confirmed sightings, black rhinos in Zambia were declared extinct.
With improved security to get poaching back under control, a pioneering project starting in 2003 saw the reintroduction of black rhinos to the park. The translocated rhinos are doing amazingly well and the population is growing. The project was a result of the partnership and work between the Zambian Government and the Frankfurt Zoological Society to protect the North Luangwa National Park.
When the plans for the translocation were agreed, very little was known about the attitudes of local people towards black rhinos and the reintroduction. Communities surrounding the border of the National Park are subject to greater threat from wildlife, through human–wildlife conflict, crop raiding, and danger to their lives. Community education was identified as a strategy to engage support from local communities who may never even see a black rhino.
How is Lolesha Luangwa programme tackling this problem?
The support of local people living close to rhinos is a crucial element in their protection. Most of the children living around the National Park have never seen a rhino and are curious what they look like and why they should protect them. These children will be the guardians of rhinos in the future and it is important to win their hearts and minds through awareness and education.
See the full story: https://www.savetherhino.org/programmes/lolesha-luangwa/
