It be nice if J'burg and Pretoria Zoos would initiate some ex situ initiative for the south-central black rhino Diceros bicornis minor.
There are very few conservation breeding facilities ex situ anyhow ...!!!! Some AZA US zoos still maintain the species but the outlook for this sub population is not good with a great surplus of bulls and very few breeding cows available.
The only really credible overseas ex situ conservation breeding program is the one by ZAA in Australia. Currently, both The Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo (Taronga/Sydney zoo society - mainstay of the ex situ population) and Monarto Safari Park (currently just a bachelor male and one recently sent back to Dubbo for breeding and with the intention to maintain a breeding pair+ on site ... where it looks likely in the near future one of the younger Dubbo born/raised cows will come over to be bred to Monarto's lone bull).
Hi @Kifaru Bwana,
Absolutely agree that setting up a breeding project for the subspecies in captivity in South Africa would be fantastic, but unfortunately, it seems unlikely. Currently, there are only three (2.1) Black Rhinos in South African zoos—1.0 Shaka at Johannesburg Zoo and a pair 1.1 at Mokopane Game Breeding Centre (operated by Pretoria Zoo). With such a limited population, it seems unlikely that Black Rhinos will be brought into captivity in South Africa, let alone exported.
Fortunately, several privately owned game farms and reserves breed the species, so not all hope is lost, as they may serve as a source for overseas collections. However, with poaching becoming more rampant and the costs of security increasing each year, keeping Black and White Rhinos in South Africa has become extremely expensive. It wouldn't be surprising if international facilities acquire Black Rhinos through private breeders seeking to get rid of the species for those reasons.
@Nix, I was not thinking per se about international animal exchange, more like setting up a local ex situ program for black rhino in South African zoos. It would serve both a conservation purpose as well as be an ambassador public awareness raising role for black rhino in the country.
