Tanzania

Selous Black Rhino Protection Project

Selous National Park

FOC is continuing to develop new links in Tanzania and supports the Selous Black Rhino Protection Project (SBRPP), in the Selous, under the co-ordination of Friedrich Alpers.

The Selous Game Reserve can be found in the South East of Tanzania. It is the largest protected area in Africa covering 52,000 square km of pristine wilderness. The Game Reserve currently contains 6% of the World's remaining black rhino populations. What makes the population even more significant is that the Reserve is believed to hold an estimated 70% of Tanzania's remaining rhino population and this could be the last viable population in the Southern Tanzania.

Objectives of the Selous Black Rhinoceros Protection Project

The immediate emphasis of the programme is to secure the existing fragmented rhino populations within the Selous Game Reserve. The main concern is to try and secure these rhinos against the daily threat of poaching, which in the past, has resulted in a near (estimated 98%) population crash from an estimated 3,000 black rhinos in the 1970's to the remaining scattered individuals present today. In conjunction with this continuos patrol programme, much needed scientific data collection and monitoring of these illusive Selous Rhinos is being undertaken, to help understand more about their behavior and their region specific ethology.

Funding

The determination of the projects to succeed in the above objectives is manifested in the dedicated rhino ranger team currently operating in the Reserve. The evident lack of actual rhino sightings is to an extent, due to the elusiveness of these rhino, the rough terrain and vastness of the region. In order for us to successfully secure the rhino populations, the project needs to push more rangers on more frequent patrols covering bigger ranges. (Friedrich was extremely privileged to obtain positive identity photographs of one of these elusive rhinos in September 2001. It was the first time in more than 7 years that it was done so you can imagine their excitement!)

Funding and support required by the programme shall specifically address the most important aspect of the project, which has been neglected in the past - the rhino rangers. The support and recompense received shall be directly channeled to the rhino rangers and their immediate needs, which involves additional specialized training and upgrading all seasonal equipment. With FOC's donation, the project will be able to purchase tents for the rangers to be used in the approaching wet season and a desktop computer. Most of the rangers are developing their interests and capacity to further their skills, many of which will be done through data recording on computer.