New home in iSimangaliso for baby rhinos orphaned by poachers
The reintroduction of historically occurring species in iSimangaliso Wetland Park is almost complete.
THREE white rhino orphans from various KwaZulu-Natal reserves, whose mothers were slaughtered by poachers for their horns, have found a new home and a safe haven in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
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The male and two females, who are about five years old, have formed a close bond while being cared for by dedicated Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff.
We are very pleased that we can offer these three orphans a new home and brighter future. As a park undertaking major ecosystems restoration, iSimangaliso offers an ideal habitat for them, – Andrew Zaloumis
“The reintroduction of historically occurring species is a critical part of the restoration. Despite the severe drought in KZN, there are parts of iSimangaliso that have received decent rainfall, providing good grass, water and a softer, friendlier refuge for the orphans.
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“iSimangaliso has a long-term conservation partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. It is doing an excellent job of rehabilitating rhino orphans. We thank them and the Peace Parks organisation, which funded the costs of this relocation , for making this possible.” said iSimangaliso chief executive Andrew Zaloumis.
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site has undergone an extensive rewilding programme over the past 15 years. This has enabled the reintroduction of all historically occurring species, except eland, into the park.
These include lion, wild dog, cheetah, oribi, tsessebe, buffalo, elephant, giraffe and black and white rhino. The drought halted the last of these planned relocations, but eland are now being sourced for introduction as conditions have improved. This last historic step will complete the process.
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Mr Zaloumis pointed out that the restocking, management and monitoring of many of our rare and endangered species was primarily supported by those taking part in eco-series events like the iSimangaliso MTB four-day bike ride held in August each year.
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