KwaZulu-Natal provincial nature conservation has received at least 20 offers from people who want to become involved in a breeding project for the endangered black rhino.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesman Derek Potter said in a statement on Wednesday that the breeding project would be part of a new programme to increase the numbers of black rhino.
He said the organisation was entering into partnerships with the private sector to obtain land on which to establish breeding populations of rhino.
”Partnerships, where appropriate, are the new thinking in conservation,” he said. ”We are moving away from an exclusionary model, because the amount of land we have under formal conservation is limited.”
The project was launched in July and 20 landowners have already expressed interest in becoming part of it.
”The minimum size of land within the traditional black rhino range would have to be at least 20 000 hectares — which might mean co-operative ventures between private or community landowners.”
The properties of the possible partners would have to be assessed for suitability before rhino could be introduced.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife would provide the breeding groups and would remain the owners of the original animals. The landowner would be entitled to half the offspring of the breeding group.
”These animals are extremely valuable and would therefore be a huge asset to the project partner. One of the criteria for selecting partners will be the economic empowerment potential for the adjacent rural communities.”
The project would be funded by the Worldwide Fund for Nature, WWF, in conjunction with the conservation partnerships and projects branch of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. — Sapa