Blog: Black rhino in Tanzania

Black rhino
The black rhino population in Ngorongoro Crater has been decimated by poaching over the last 50 years – that’s not news. What is great news is how successful the conservation efforts have been. Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) have been the ‘feet on the ground’ and it’s all been paid for from income derived from wildlife tourism: conservation funded solely from safari visitors to the Ngorongoro Crater.

Here are the stats:-

Year    Popln
1968      108
1977         25
2018        52

Nowadays the rhinos are under 24-hour camera surveillance which has reduced poaching and improved husbandry allowing more calves to survive. A few blacks have also been reintroduced to Ngorongoro, from South Africa, to improve the gene pool.

The oldest resident is Fausta (54 years) and she is now on a special care programme because they recon 50 years is the usual life expectancy for a rhino.