Wildlife Conservation Namibia Project #40135

Protecting Rhinos

by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Project Report | Jan 18, 2023
Protecting Rhino's - January Update

By Jo B | Supporter Care

Rhino and Calf - Save The Rhino Trust

The continued outstanding efforts of our ground-based partners on the ground in Namibia mean that it is now been over two years since a black rhino has been poached in the area that they protect. This is a huge achievement and has contributed to an 80% drop in poaching in the last five years compared to the previous five. This lack of poaching is even more impressive in the context of the amount of poaching in Namibia and South Africa, where rhinos have been heavily targeted by poaching syndicates. As of October, 60 poached rhino carcasses has been discovered in Namibia in 2022.

Given the increase in poaching in Namibia mentioned above, our partners have made big efforts to further increase ranger patrols in the last six months. Team field days, ranger field days, and foot kilometers have all increased and ranger field days are now over 1,000 a month for the first time. The biggest increase has been in patrol kilometers which reports show have increased by over 10,000km in the past six months. In addition, the mounted unit who patrol on Mules are now fully active and are conducting regular patrols into specific hard to access areas. The ongoing and constant presence of rangers in the field is providing a large deterrent to would-be poachers. Funding from DSWF is used to keep rangers employed, supported and equipped in the field thereby your support is hugely contributing to the success currently playing out in the region.

However, despite the successes of the last six months and beyond, it is becoming increasingly challenging for our teams to maintain such a strong ranger presence. Fuel and field ration costs have increased significantly due to the global cost of living crisis, placing considerable strain on our partners resources on top of regular vehicle challenges and breakdowns as the old vehicles currently in use increasingly struggle to cross the harsh terrain in the region.

Rhino sightings have remained consistent with previous reporting periods in the past six months. The much needed rains have been welcomely soaked up by harsh and dry ecosystem and have provided plentiful resources and growth to the area, which we hope will lead to an increase in rhino births over the coming years. Given the long gestation period of rhinos, it will be a while before the impact of this is known.

Our partners have continued their outstanding community work with several outreach events taking place during the past six months. These include World Rhino Day, the rhino cup youth football league and the Reading with Rhinos programme. During this period over 3,000 individuals have been exposed to positive messaging related to rhinos. These events are critical for maintaining the notion of pride amongst the communities in one of the most economically challenged regions of the country, ensuring that local people develop positive associations with the black rhinos they live alongside and recognize the benefits that protecting them brings.

Stay up to date with our work and how your generous support is making a difference, receive exciting wildlife conservation stories and hear about forthcoming campaigns, fundraising initiatives and events: Stay In Touch

Rangers Tracking - Save The Rhino Trust

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Sep 22, 2022
Protecting Rhinos - September Update

By Jo B | Supporter Care & Database Executive

Rhinos - Gareth Thomas

In June this year the Namibian Government reported a sudden surge in poaching with the discovery of 11 poached rhino carcasses in one national park alone, in the space of just two weeks. Further down the continent in South Africa, 259 rhinos have been poached for their horns this year alone, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

This isn’t the first time a surge like this has occurred. Less than a decade ago rhinos were slaughtered at an alarming rate across Africa, starting with the large population of rhinos in South Africa, then moving north towards Namibia and neighbouring countries. With well-funded professional poaching syndicates operating unchecked, our frontline teams provide vital protection to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Namibia holds the last stronghold of desert-adapted black rhinos, protected by our partners Save the Rhino Trust. David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DWSF) has long supported safeguarding this truly free-roaming wild population of black rhino, the last of their kind in Namibia. With a potential crisis looming, every single rhino counts. For a species that has existed for over 40 million years, we cannot sit idle and watch them fall into the history books. Our frontline teams are the gatekeepers to stopping poachers from reaching rhinos, providing vital protection to this already vulnerable sub-species.

Through continuing your support to DSWF and to rhinos, you will be directly protecting Namibia’s last stronghold of desert-adapted black rhinos through:

Supporting anti-poaching and rhino protection initiatives on the frontline
Giving rangers adequate kit to patrol and gather intelligence effectively, including uniform, boots, and GPS handsets
Working to influence policy and ensure the toughest legislation to end the trade in rhino horn
Supporting vital research and data collection to monitor and enhance survival
Educating children and local communities on the importance of rhino conservation and their benefit to the environment

With your help we can put a stop to this rise in rhino poaching and ensure that the desert-adapted black rhino lives on for generations to come.

New rhino population estimates have recently been released and DSWF are saddened to see the continued ecline in the global rhino population due to relentless poaching and habitat loss. Population estimates for all five rhino species have been updated by the IUCN and devestatingly shown that collectively the world rhino population has decreased by 3.7% in the last year. With an estimated global wild rhino population of just 26,272. Making it more important now more than ever for DSWF to continue to fight, protect and engage on behalf of rhinos across the world.

Find out more about our work with Rhinos

Rainbow Rhino - Mark Cawardine

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May 12, 2022
Protecting Rhinos - May Update

By Jo Briffitt | Supporter Care & Database Executive

Rhino, Credit Skyhawk Photography

Thank you for supporting David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) Protecting Rhinos.

Black Rhinos are critically endangered with the current global population no more than 5,600. They remain under threat from both natural and human induced factors. These threats include poaching, habitat encroachment through human and livestock use of the rhino breeding zones, increased mining exploration activity, lack of quality forage and water in times of prevailing drought and human-induced disturbance primarily through uncontrolled tourism.

Largely due to successful collaboration with the Namibian government an exciting rhino range expansion project is underway in Namibia. The expansion represents a significant addition to black rhino habitat and further secures Namibia’s status as the global leader in black rhino conservation. Our ground-based conservation partners in Namibia protect a vast 25,000km² area in the Western Kunene and Northern Erongo regions where due to the outstanding efforts of rangers on the ground they have seen an absence of rhino poaching since August 2020.

With the vision to ensure an increasing population of black rhino across an expanded range with zero poaching, ongoing funding from DSWF to our ground-based conservation partner is required to:

Provide monitoring and assessment of movement, distribution, and condition of the desert-adapted black rhino population in protected regions.
Collaborate with law enforcement partners for security related activities and to monitor human activities which could impact rhino bearing areas.
Assist in criminal investigations through working with the police, prosecutors and judiciary to collect and present evidence and DNA sampling in rhino-related court cases.

Though this vital work it is expected that the black rhino population will remain stable or increase across the landscape with the hope that 75% of all the rhinos across the landscape would be sighted monthly by a member of the ranger team. Poaching will remain at a minimal level and if poaching occurs, criminal cases will be thoroughly investigated leading to quicker arrests and convictions for poachers.

Find out more about our work with Rhinos

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) would love to keep you up-to-date with how your generous support is making a difference, share exciting wildlife conservation stories and tell you about forthcoming campaigns, fundraising initiatives and events. If you would like to hear more from us, please let us know via our online form: Stay In Touch

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