Black rhinos return to Matusadona after 30 years

Black rhinos have been reintroduced into Matusadona National Park for the first time in more than three decades, marking a major breakthrough in Zimbabwe's ongoing wildlife restoration efforts.

The animals were airlifted to the Lake Kariba-based park in a coordinated conservation operation led by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), African Parks, and Matusadona National Park management.

The rhinos were sourced from several protected locations, including the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy, Matobo National Park, and an undisclosed site. Their relocation forms part of a broader programme aimed at restoring species that were wiped out or displaced due to decades of poaching.

Matusadona National Park, once a stronghold for black rhinos, lost its population in the late 1980s and early 1990s when intensified poaching across Zimbabwe forced conservation authorities to relocate surviving animals for protection.

During that period, Zimbabwe's rhino population collapsed from an estimated 10,000 animals to fewer than 1,000, as poaching for horn devastated wildlife populations nationwide.

Some of the rhinos now returned to Matusadona are descendants of animals that were rescued and relocated during that era, including individuals once placed under protection at the Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy.

Park manager Michael Pelham described the return as an emotional moment for those who witnessed both the removal and reintroduction of the species.

"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," he said.

"Having witnessed the rhino's catastrophic decline in Matusadona, it is incredibly emotional to see their return."

The reintroduced rhinos will initially remain in specially constructed holding enclosures known as bomas, where they will be closely monitored before gradual release into the wild.

They will be released into a 175-square-kilometre Intensive Protection Zone, with each animal fitted with a tracking device to enable real-time monitoring and anti-poaching surveillance.

The reintroduction follows years of rehabilitation work in Matusadona under a 20-year management agreement signed in 2019 between ZimParks and African Parks, making it one of Zimbabwe's flagship public-private conservation partnerships.

ZimParks Director-General Edison Gandiwa described the development as a historic achievement for the country's conservation sector.

"It is a testament to what is possible when government, conservation organisations and local partners work together with shared purpose," he said.

African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead said the recovery of Matusadona had personal significance, noting that the park's earlier collapse helped inspire the creation of the organisation.

Traditional leaders from surrounding communities, including Chiefs Mola, Masampakaruma, Nebiri and Negande, also supported the reintroduction programme.

Matusadona National Park, established in 1975 along the shores of Lake Kariba, was once renowned for its rich populations of black rhinos and elephants before years of poaching, illegal fishing and limited resources severely degraded wildlife protection efforts.

The return of the black rhino follows earlier reintroductions of other species, including wild dogs, and is being viewed as a strong indicator of ecological recovery in the park.

Zimbabwe now has more than 1,000 rhinos nationally for the first time in over 30 years, with authorities recording 616 black rhinos and 417 white rhinos.

Conservationists say the successful reintroduction of black rhinos to Matusadona represents one of the clearest signs yet of Zimbabwe's broader wildlife restoration journey and renewed commitment to protecting endangered species.