Mongabay · Climate & nature

Rhino Conservation Efforts Highlighted on World Rhino Day

World Rhino Day on September 22 brings attention to ongoing efforts to save rhinos from extinction, including reintroduction programs and habitat management.

In Uganda, southern white rhinos have been reintroduced to Kidepo Valley National Park and Ajai Wildlife Reserve, as the last wild northern white rhino was killed in 1983. This subspecies is different from the critically endangered northern white rhino, of which only two females remain.

Zinave National Park in Mozambique, once a 'silent park' due to civil war, has seen the reintroduction of 64 white and black rhinos since 2022. Rhinos play a crucial role in maintaining grassland ecosystems and mitigating fire risks. At least five black rhino calves have been born there.

In India, 42 greater one-horned rhinos reintroduced to Manas National Park between 2006 and 2021 have resulted in 40 calf births, indicating successful adaptation to their new environment, though poaching remains a concern.

Nepal's greater one-horned rhino population grew by 16.6% to 752 individuals between 2015-2021. However, tracking revealed these rhinos travel long distances, suggesting a need for better quality grasslands and water sources to support growing populations.

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