Seventeen black rhinos have just arrived in Malawi’s Liwonde National Park after a long journey from South Africa. The move – one of the largest-ever translocations of the species – started in KwaZulu-Natal after a custodian agreement was reached between the governments of Malawi and South Africa.
This is the first international translocation run by WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP). The move is hoping to not only boost Malawi’s black rhino population, but also introduce more genetic diversity. To further enhance the latter, two of Liwonde’s current black rhinos are being shifted to Malawi's Majete Wildlife Reserve, while one from Majete is moving in the opposite direction to Liwonde.
Liwonde and Majete have been run by the NGO African Parks since 2015 and 2003 respectively, and its work has proved transformational. Not has it rejuvenated the landscape and animal populations, but it has gone a long way to making them both sustainable safari destinations. To accomplish this they’ve worked hand in hand with local communities and Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife.
This move has only been possible because of Malawi’s good law enforcement and community initiatives, both of which have gone a long way to illustrate that these endangered animals will have a secure future in Liwonde. African Parks notes that advanced technology will be used to enable live-time tracking of each animal.
The logistics behind the translocation were immense, with the animals needing to spend six weeks in quarantine before being flown from Durban’s Shaka Zulu International Airport to Malawi’s capital Lilongwe.
The Director of the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife Brighton Kumchedwa noted: “This international collaboration has provided an important opportunity for us to contribute to improving the prospects of rhinos in Africa. As the Malawi Government, we are honoured to be part of this Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. We’re extremely proud of the progress achieved with partners like African Parks for the conservation of threatened species in Malawi. By restoring our natural heritage, in concert with economic development, we’re providing a sustainable future for both wildlife and people in our country.”
