Course:CONS200/2024WT1/A reason for hope: Population recovery of the Black Rhino in Namibia

Introduction

Black rhino (Diceros bicornis)

The Black Rhino (Diceros Bicornis), native to regions across eastern and southern Africa, can be found in countries including Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. Historically, Black Rhino populations faced a drastic decline, primarily due to intense illegal poaching fueled by demand for Rhino horns. Between 1970 to 1987, the total population across Africa was reduced by 95-97%, prompting the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to classify the species as “Critically Endangered”. However, from the 1990’s, effective anti-poaching measures  successfully helped stabilise populations in select areas, enabling a gradual recovery.

Namibia is home to approximately one-third of the global Black Rhino population and plays a critical role in their conservation through innovative, multi-faceted strategies. The main strategies Namibia uses to ensure the conservation of the species include active community involvement, the Black Rhinoceros Custodianship Program, population management, anti-poaching measures, habitat protection and data collection. Together these strategies collectively aim to enhance the survival and contribute to the recovery and growth of the species within Namibia.

The recovery of Black Rhino populations hold significant ecological, economic and cultural importance. As a keystone species, they play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance as they perform important ecological services such as seed dispersal and nutrient cycling, and their recovery contributes to the overall health of savannas and shrublands, promoting diversity and resilience against environmental changes. Economically, they bolster Namibia’s nature-based tourism, generating significant revenue for local communities and the national economy. Culturally, they are an integral part of Namibia’s natural heritage and cultural identity, holding significance in local traditions and stories, symbolising strength and resilience.

Background

Taxidermy of Rhino's full skull with horns

Species Overview

The Black Rhino is an African rhinoceros species and is principally a browser herbivore that feeds on leafy and woody plants and fruits. One main characteristic is their two horns that grow continuously from the base of their skin throughout their life. Adult Black Rhinos can weigh up to two to three thousand pounds; along with their large eating and drinking capacity, they are considered mega-herbivores, as well as ecosystem engineers capable of altering vegetation on a landscape scale. Four recognized black rhino subspecies are mainly distributed across eastern and southern Africa and have a limited population in parts of the West.

Historical population trends

Distribution of the four black rhino subspecies 1997

In the 19th century, Black Rhinos were the most numerous rhino species globally. Up till the 1960s, there was an estimated healthy population of 100,000 Black Rhinos roaming in Africa, most abundantly found in Tanzania, the Central African Republic, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia. However, with the introduction of European influence over hunting and land use practices, illegal hunting posed an immense threat to Black Rhino populations. Between the 1960s and 1990s, their total population across Africa had plummeted by 95-97% to less than 2,500 individuals.

In the case of Namibia during the late 20th century, the country’s turbulent colonial history greatly disturbed the natural habitat of Black Rhinos. Besides the expansion of colonial hunting practices, colonial authorities prioritized the appropriation of land for European ranches and farms, significantly reducing the available habitats for Black Rhinos. Moreover, colonial conservationists initiated translocation efforts in the late 1960s, which were not carefully planned or executed, resulting in Black Rhinos being lost mid-translocation.These colonial-era disruptions left Namibia's Black Rhino populations vulnerable and fragmented.

Poaching as a Major Threat

By the mid-20th century, poaching had become the main threat to the Black Rhino population in Africa due to the growing international demand for rhino horns, especially in Asian countries, such as China and Vietnam where it is mainly used as a precious traditional Chinese medicine that is stated to cure snakebites, hallucinations, fevers and more. Moreover, the rhino horn has also been seen as a symbol of status as it is often associated with wealth and prestige, making it a popular collectable and gift.

Both Black Rhinos and White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) were listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1977. As an international agreement that seeks to “ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.”, the majority of international trade in all rhinoceros, including horns, has been banned. Following this agreement, Namibia alongside South Africa has shown continuous effort in anti-poaching efforts through monitoring and law enforcement, which has brought Black Rhino populations up from 930 in 1980, to 1,750 in 1999. Nonetheless, the official trade ban has also increased the black market price of rhino horn, increasing the financial incentive to poach rhinos in return; hence, a resurgence in poaching of Black Rhino can be seen beginning in 2008, igniting debate about the efficacy of the CITES trade ban.

Current Programs and Organizations

Overview

The current remedial actions being taken in Namibia regarding the populations of the Black Rhino is structured around public-private partnerships, advanced anti-poaching techniques, community involvement, and rhino ranger programs. The main program that is being used to safeguard the Rhinos is the Black Rhino Custodianship Program, which is managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MET), which collaborates with communal conservatories and private landowners to help take care of the Black Rhinos. Alongside this program, Namibia has also implemented the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) which aims to support the rangers taking care of the Black Rhinos alongside the conservation of the animals.

Black Rhino Custodianship Program

Black Rhino Protection Fund Logo

The Black Rhino Custodianship program was first launched in the year 1990, and it assigns different individuals within the population to communal and private land, which creates a network of safe habitats for the Black Rhinos. The program employs custodians who manage around 3.4 million hectares of land that the Rhinos reside on. These custodians monitor the populations and ensure the animals are safe from threats, such as poaching. Due to this program, the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group has recognized a population of rhinos in Northern Namibia that can be classified as a Key 1 population regarding the recovery of the species due to its large size. As of now, Namibia is home to 2/3rds of the world's population of Black Rhinos.

Save the Rhino Trust

The Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) is an organization that primarily focuses on protecting and conserving the Black Rhinos in Namibia while also ensuring there is adequate support for the rangers who take care of the Rhinos. This organization has established a database that has documented the Black Rhinos throughout Namibia by using photos and records of the life history of the Rhino. Alongside this record keeping, the organization has also provided several monetary benefits to rangers in accordance with the amount of distance they have travelled on foot in kilometres, the variety of the rhinos recorded, and how many they have recorded in general. This is achieved by the SRT with the use of a Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tool (SMART) which can record and manage data. These payments and rewards can motivate the rangers to perform more work while also benefiting the local economies as it brings extra income to the communities surrounding the reserves.

Anti-poaching Measures

In order to combat the poaching of the Black Rhinos for their highly valued horns, Namibia has integrated several different preventative measures, including the method of dehorning. From 1989 to 1990, the dehorning of rhinos in Namibia significantly decreased the number of individuals being poached by hunters. This has also been aided by an increase in funding and security regarding anti-poaching[15]. However, dehorning these Rhinos has been extremely costly for the Namibian government, as rhino dehorning must also happen every three years as they grow back, which comes at a cost. Likewise in 2017, the Namibian government removed the horns of 451 Black Rhinos at a cost of around 980 Thousand US dollars.

Future Directions and Conservation Recommendations

The recovery of the black rhino population in Namibia has been a conservation success story, but recent challenges highlight the need for continued vigilance and innovative approaches. The southwestern black rhino subspecies was reclassified from "vulnerable" to "near-threatened" in 2020, following an 11% population increase between 2012 and 2017. This success can be attributed to several factors, including community-based conservation, robust monitoring efforts, translocation projects, and collaboration between government, NGOs, and local communities. However recent data shows a concerning trend. In 2022, 87 rhinos were killed by poachers in Namibia, nearly double the number from 2021. This surge in poaching threatens to undermine years of conservation efforts. Despite conservation efforts, black rhinos continue to face significant threats from poaching for their horns, which are highly valued in traditional Asian medicine markets. Poaching remains the primary threat to the survival of black rhinos.

Strengthening Community Involvement

Building on the Black Rhino Custodianship Program, future conservation efforts should deepen community integration. Current models effectively involve local custodians, covering over 3.4 million hectares of habitat and protecting two-thirds of the world's black rhino population. The cornerstone of Namibia's success in rhino conservation has been the involvement of local communities like the conservancy model and the Rhino Custodianship Programme. These programs have placed local people and their values at the center of conservation efforts, giving them a sense of ownership and responsibility for the rhinos on their land.

To enhance these efforts, Namibia could adopt additional benefit-sharing mechanisms, ensuring that local communities receive tangible rewards from conservation, such as increased eco-tourism revenues . Incentives can also be expanded to include community-led tourism initiatives, which diversify income sources while fostering stewardship among rural populations.

Economic Incentives and Tourism

The effectiveness of linking conservation with economic benefits for local communities has been demonstrated by various case studies. Tourism as a conservation tool can be framed as a type of ecosystem service whereby the service provided (i.e. wildlife sighting) can lead toward improving livelihoods by enriching primarily local wealth through direct or indirect payments such as employment.

Save the Rhino Trust and Minnesota Zoo staff out on donkey patrol in Namibia.

Expanding Ranger Support

Save the Rhino Trust's ranger initiatives have demonstrated significant impact through programs that include SMART-based bonuses and welfare enhancements. To improve ranger morale and effectiveness, additional measures are needed, such as broader access to medical insurance and regular wellness interventions. For instance, scaling up wellness programs similar to the 2021 welfare intervention can address gaps like insufficient access to medical facilities. Furthermore, implementing advanced training programs for rangers to use technologies such as drones and GIS mapping may also increase efficiency in anti-poaching efforts.

Advancing Anti-Poaching Techniques

While dehorning has been successful in reducing poaching rates, it is financially burdensome and diminishes tourism revenue due to the reduced appeal of hornless rhinos. Enhanced surveillance systems, such as Reserve Area Networks with thermal long-range cameras and LoRa sensors, have proven highly effective in areas like Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, achieving a 96% reduction in poaching. Expanding this system to cover more of Namibia's rhino habitats could significantly improve real-time monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

Policy Implication - Legal Hunting

Legal hunting of threatened species, especially the recreational practice of "trophy hunting" is controversial with ethical objections being increasingly voiced. However, the African rhino case studies suggest that appropriately managed and regulated legal hunting (with trophy exports) can reinforce (rather than compromise) species and habitat conservation. By helping address the problems of excess males, high population densities, and inbreeding, limited targeted rhino hunting can help advance demographic and genetic conservation goals. The generation of additional revenue also helps pay for the incentivized rhino conservation action. This positive outcome is achieved through institutional arrangements that direct the flow of socioeconomic benefits to locally relevant levels, thereby providing both a source of finance for essential rhino security and management and positive incentives for rural communities and private landowners to support conservation more generally.

Conclusion

Namibia’s conservation success with the Black Rhino population demonstrates the potential of a multi-faceted approach in preserving critically endangered species. Through the Black Rhinoceros Custodianship Program, anti-poaching initiatives, and community involvement, Namibia has significantly slowed population declines and fostered growth among Black Rhinos. However, this progress faces challenges from illegal hunting, which remains a substantial threat as demand for rhino horns in international markets continues. Namibia’s approach–marked by strategies such as dehorning, enhanced surveillance and the involvement of local communities–exemplifies how complex conservation problems can be addressed through cooperative, adaptive solutions. While Namibia has made significant strides in rhino conservation, the future success of these efforts depend on sustained commitment and adaptation. Its essential next steps include increasing partnerships with local and international stakeholders, advancing technology, and strengthening community engagement. Namibia’s achievements not only contribute to the recovery of the Black Rhino, but also inspire global conservation efforts, showing how national policies and community-driven conservation can overcome environmental challenges.