HARARE, Jun. 3 (NewsDay Live) — Black rhinos have returned to Matusadona National Park for the first time in more than 30 years, marking a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s wildlife conservation efforts and the restoration of one of the country’s most important protected areas.
The animals, sourced from Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy, Matobo National Park and another undisclosed location, were airlifted to the Lake Kariba park in a complex operation led by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), African Parks and Matusadona National Park.
Their return completes a remarkable conservation journey that began in the late 1980s when rampant poaching forced authorities to remove rhinos from the Zambezi Valley to safer locations.
Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy was among the institutions entrusted with protecting orphaned calves rescued during that period. Some of the rhinos now returning to Matusadona are descendants of those animals.
Matusadona was once one of Zimbabwe’s key black rhino strongholds before poaching devastated populations across the country.
During the 1980s, Zimbabwe’s rhino population plunged from about 10,000 animals to fewer than 1,000 as poachers targeted rhino horn, while other wildlife species also suffered heavy losses.
Park manager Michael Pelham, who witnessed both the removal and return of the animals, described the moment as deeply emotional.
“I was here in the 1990s when we lost them. I helped capture the last survivors, we crated them and flew them out to safety, not knowing if the species would ever come back,” Pelham said.
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“Having witnessed the rhino’s catastrophic decline in Matusadona, it is incredibly emotional to see their return.”
The rhinos will initially be housed in specially constructed bomas for monitoring before being released in phases into a secure 175-square-kilometre Intensive Protection Zone. Each animal has been fitted with a tracking device to allow real-time monitoring.
The reintroduction follows years of investment in restoring the park.
In 2019, African Parks entered into a 20-year management partnership with ZimParks to rehabilitate Matusadona, making it the first protected area in Zimbabwe to be managed under the conservation organisation’s model.
The return of black rhinos follows the successful reintroduction of wild dogs earlier this year and is being viewed as evidence of the park’s recovery.
ZimParks director-general Professor Edison Gandiwa described the development as “a historic event and a proud moment for Zimbabwe’s conservation efforts”.
“It is a testament to what is possible when government, conservation organisations and local partners work together with shared purpose,” Gandiwa said.
African Parks chief executive officer Peter Fearnhead said the park’s decline in the early 1990s helped inspire the creation of the organisation.
“It is therefore personally gratifying to have been a partner in the revival of Matusadona,” he said.
Traditional leaders from surrounding communities, including Chiefs Mola, Masampakaruma, Nebiri and Negande, supported the reintroduction programme.
Matusadona Conservation Trust country manager Daniel Sithole said the rhinos’ return represented more than a conservation success.
“These animals carry the genetics of this landscape. Their return belongs to Zimbabwe,” he said.
The reintroduction comes as black rhino populations continue to recover across Africa through intensive conservation efforts.
Zimbabwe recently surpassed the 1,000-rhino mark for the first time in more than three decades, with authorities recording 616 black rhinos and 417 white rhinos.
Matusadona National Park, established in 1975, was once renowned for its black rhino and elephant populations. Years of poaching, illegal fishing and limited resources severely weakened wildlife protection efforts.
The return of black rhinos is being seen as one of the clearest signs yet of the park’s recovery and Zimbabwe’s broader conservation resurgence.
