(Bloomberg) — The Botswana government is moving rhinos out of the Okavango Delta after a surge in poaching that has seen 92 of the endangered animals killed in the past two years, compared to just seven in 2010 to 2018.
The delta is one of two World Heritage Sites in the southern African country, a 20,000 square-kilometer (7,700 square-mile) wetland populated by 130 animal species, including white and black rhinos. It’s Botswana’s premier tourist attraction and the rhinos are a major drawcard.
The remaining rhinos in the delta will be moved to sanctuaries around the country to allow their populations to recover, Wildlife and National Parks Director Kabelo Senyatso said in a statement late Friday.
“Over the next few years, the animals from the sanctuaries will be used to re-populate other areas, including the Okavango Delta,” Senyatso said.
Botswana previously experienced the near extinction of rhinos in the wild in the 1990s, before their relocation to sanctuaries and protection provided by the army began rebuilding their numbers. Botswana doesn’t provide a tally of its rhino population, to keep this information from poachers.
Options such as dehorning the rhinos and increasing foot and aerial patrols had worked to “differing levels,” leading to the decision to move the animals, he said.
A look at the numbers
Nearly 100 rhinoceros were killed by poachers for their horns in Botswana over the past three years, a wildlife official said in a statement Saturday. Xinhua quoted Senyatso saying Botswana lost five, 30 and 62 rhinoceros in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Senyatso, however, insisted that the country’s rhinoceros population will never reach extinction levels due to poaching, as Botswana will always have certain interventions unique to the species to protect them from poachers.
“Following the surge in rhino poaching within the Okavango Delta, a number of initiatives were implemented to address the problem,” said Senyatso, adding that the initiatives included more foot and aerial patrols, the dehorning of rhinos and removal of the critically endangered black rhinoceros to fenced areas.
Botswana is committed to deploying resources towards anti-poaching activities to ensure that its rich wildlife resources are not decimated by those with selfish ambitions by maintaining anti-poaching efforts in the northern part of Botswana, Senyatso said.
A 2021 International Rhino Foundation status report released last month indicated that the rhino population faces a significant poaching threat in Botswana, while noting that Botswana is taking the necessary steps to address the issue through several initiatives.
Sources: http://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/botswana-moves-rhinos-out-of-okavango-delta-as-poaching-worsens-1.1670722 and http://www.news.cn/english/2021-10/23/c_1310264587.htm
