07 Jun 2017

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks in collaboration with Rhino Without Borders will reward two headmen of Zoroga near Nata for informing wildlife officers about a rhino that went missing at Moremi Game Reserve.

Speaking in an interview, Ngamiland District wildlife officer, Mr Timmy Blackbeard revealed that the female black rhino went missing in December 2014, adding that it was seen in Mababe.

Mr Blackbeard noted that the rhino was pregnant when she disappered from the delta and was now accompanied by a calf.

Mr Blackbeard said the gestation period of a rhino was 18 months.

He further explained that three months ago the rhino and calf were spotted in Zoroga, but  were mistaken for hippos.

He added that in May the two headmen saw the rhinos near their cattlepost and quickly informed wildlife officers in their area about them.

“The wildlife officers in the area went to confirm if indeed it was a rhino and its calf and their confirmation was positive,” he said.

He said it was easy for the rhinos to have survived in the area, as there was plenty of grass and water.

Mr Blackbeard said the department in Maun then mobilised a team and equipment to catch the two rhinos and send them back to the delta.

The rhino and its calf were transported to Makgadikgadi Pans Game Park under heavy security by road and was later driven to Maun.

A Botswana Defence Force plane then fly the animals to the Okavango Delta which was their final destination.

He said each heardman would be given a certificate of appreciation and P5 000 as a token of appreciation for informing wildlife officers when they saw the rhinos before telling anyone else.

He said telling irrelevant people would have put the two rhinos in danger of poachers that were all over the country.

Mr Blackbeard noted that rhinos were the most poached animals in the world, and urged the community to take the same precautions when they saw the animals in unusual places.

He said the incident proved that community partnership with the department was vital in protecting and preserving the fauna of the country for future generations.

Mr Blackbeard noted that a rhino horn could costs as much as US$60 000 per  kilogramme, and that a mature rhino horn weighed approximately 6kg which amounts to P3 to P4 million.ENDS