Rhino numbers dwindling

Published on Sunday 20 April 2008 20:59

In your report, "Scots scientists to save one of rarest animals on the planet" (17 April), you wrongly state that there would be 13 northern white rhinos left in Garamba National Park. In fact, since August 2005, the working figure has been at only four rhinos, to which one can add five individuals in captivity (San Diego and Dvur Kralove).

The government of DR Congo and the organisation "African Parks Network" signed a public-private partnership in September 2005. According to this innovative arrangement, the "Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature" (the official wildlife authority) has given African Parks the mandate to manage Garamba National Park and its surrounding game reserves, an total area of 12,000 km.

Since we started our operations, a number of remarkable results have been achieved: rangers have been paid on a regular basis, infrastructure is being rehabilitated and built, vital equipment has been provided, and most importantly poaching has been under control. The main wildlife populations have been increasing (elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, etc), although unfortunately we cannot report any rhino birth at this moment.

Contrary to your report, habitat loss is not such an important issue in and around Garamba. Poaching is of course still a potential threat to which we continue to mobilise important resources. But the main hurdle to our conservation efforts is the insecurity that prevails in the region, in particular with the presence of the Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group that has been active in the area for almost three years.

(DR) JOS KALPERS

Country coordinator for DR Congo, African Parks Network

Lonehill, South Africa