The Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province will reintroduce a maximum of 30 black rhinos in 2020. The animals will be sourced from other national parks in Zimbabwe such as Malilangwe Trust, Bubye Valley Conservancy, and Save Conservancy.
The philosophy of the park’s tourism is to tread as softly on this landscape as possible, while fully immersing oneself in the experience of being in this vast wild space. Visitors are asked to respect the spirit of the Gonarezhou, and the main activities on offer in the park include game viewing from vehicles and limited walking.
GNP is managed by the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT), a new model for protected area management drawn up between the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS).
GCT said security in GNP has attained such a level that a rhino reintroduction project has become feasible.
“Manpower levels are at an all-time high, with more than 90 patrols deployed in the park per month, all monitored in real-time through a park-wide digital radio network.
“Law enforcement monitoring is being done through data collection by ranger patrols which are inputted into the Park’s SMART database, which has been fully operational since 2014 and allows for a clear understanding of the trends in the nature and spatial distribution of threat and the effectiveness and coverage of ranger patrols.
