About the project

Rhinos Without Borders (RWB) is a project of hope in which two like-minded conservation and travel companies, andBeyond and Great Plains Conservation, committed to translocate rhino from highly productive populations at risk, to wilderness areas in Botswana. The initial aim of the project was to create new viable breeding populations to broaden the Botswana Rhino gene pool, while also populating the ideal habitat for rhino and increasing the range, and in this way spreading the risk. The translocated rhinos have created a few source populations, and the significant number of calves are the true hallmark of a successful relocation. Rhinos Without Borders has exceeded its original goals, and the project’s focus is now on the active monitoring of these rhino.

The rhinos have been placed in undisclosed Botswana locations selected by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). The criteria for release sites was established by the DWNP and confirmed in writing. The habitat, access, physical bomas for cows and calves, and monitoring ability post release, all formed part of the decision on the release sites. Although the animals’ movements are unhindered in this unique open system, and many have moved far away from the original release locations, we have kept tabs on these animals with our aerial and ground monitoring teams in support of the DWNP.

Botswana remains some of the best white rhino habitat in the region and currently has one of the lowest poaching rates in Africa, partly thanks to a multi-departmental approach to conservation, in which conservation officials are supported by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and an official anti-poaching unit, with a shoot to kill policy, and political will from the top to help save rhinos.

Poaching is likely to increase everywhere while there is demand for rhino horn: the illegal cartels involved in this trade have sources, and will develop sources where they see opportunity; however, thanks to the reasons outlined in the above answer, Botswana currently provides some of the best habitat for rhinos with a coordinated security system that is evolving in response to the increased threat.

No.

While rhino are only one of the species that is currently endangered through the risk of poaching, their numbers are being decimated particularly quickly. Not only do these animals have a vital role to play in the ecosystem, even more importantly, their extinction will open a precipitous gap in the natural balance. More immediately, if we cannot protect our iconic species in the system, we will be unable to protect the rest of the ecosystem.

With the loss of any of Africa’s iconic species, we risk disturbing the integrity of the entire ecosystem – like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces.

Both andBeyond and Great Plains Conservation believe that translocations are a fundamental way to secure the ongoing survival of an endangered species in that they spread the risk by creating multiple populations across a number of geographic locations, diversify the gene pool and increase the breeding rate. South Africa has many very successful and productive populations, and also some populations under immediate threat of poaching: both sources were used to supply the Project with rhino for donation to Botswana

• Rhino were taken from existing, high density and productive populations that were all under the threat of poaching, and released in a wilderness area with few numbers of rhino and an established anti-poaching and monitoring system.
• By creating multiple populations of rhino in a number of geographic regions, it is harder for poachers to operate than when there is one concentrated population in one country.
• By moving the rhino to Botswana, we created a few new breeding nuclei for the species distributed across the vast Botswanan landscapes: as mentioned before, having more than one viable breeding population of rhino helps to diversify their gene pool and increase their breeding rate.
• Spreading the risk, and increasing the diversity of genes, are the most common reasons for translocation but, in this case, there was a major third reason: to stimulate the growth of the rhino populations in Botswana. Presently the country has low numbers of rhino on a vast landscape of good habitat and it is sometimes difficult for mating pairs to even locate one another because of the vastness of the Rhino Habitat. In addition, it is a biological reality that the presence of new, younger males stimulates the females and this competition energises the males. All of this is much needed in any productive population.

• A story of hope for rhino, Rhinos Without Borders sees private companies working with the governments of two countries to benefit conservation.
• The success of the first phase of this innovative project has raised the profile of bilateral agreements between nations based on conservation.
• It also creates awareness that private sector companies can have a marked impact on conservation issues by working with each other and government, and that conservation is much stronger when the private sector supports the governments’ conservation actions.
• It serves as a success story to stimulate new projects, where private sector operations join forces for conservation outcomes. While it is true that rhino conservation faces critical challenges at the moment, we aim to facilitate broader cooperation and believe many conservation situations can be changed if we work collaboratively.
• On a purely practical level, the initiative is also helping to increase the number of rhino in Botswana, and the rate of calving is testimony to RWB’s success to date.