Abstract:
The complexity and magnitude of threats to black (Diceros bicornis) and white
(Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceros conservation in Africa have triggered global concerns
and actions. In this study, we analyzed (i) threats to rhinoceros conservation including
external shocks, (ii) historical rhinoceros conservation strategies in Zimbabwe
and Africa, more broadly, and (iii) opportunities for enhanced rhinoceros conservation
in Zimbabwe and Africa. A literature search from 1975 to 2020 was carried out using
a predefined search protocol, involving a number of filters based on a set of keywords
to balance search sensitivity with specificity. A total of 193 articles, which were most
relevant to key themes on rhinoceros conservation, were used in this study. The common
threats to rhinoceros conservation identified in this paper include poaching,
habitat fragmentation and loss, international trade in illegal rhino products, and external
shocks such as global financial recessions and pandemics. Cascading effects
emanating from these threats include small and isolated populations, which are prone
to genetic, demographic, and environmental uncertainties. Rhinoceros conservation
strategies being implemented include education and awareness campaigns, better
equipped and more antipoaching efforts, use of innovative systems and technologies,
dehorning, and enhancing safety nets, and livelihoods of local communities.
Opportunities for rhinoceros conservation vary across the spatial scale, and these
include (a) a well-coordinated
stakeholder and community involvement, (b) strategic
meta-population
management, (c) enhancing law enforcement initiatives through
incorporating real-time
surveillance technologies and intruder detection sensor networks
for crime detection, (d) scaling up demand reduction awareness campaigns,
and (e) developing more certified wildlife crime and forensic laboratories, and information
repository for international corporation.
