Save The Rhino Trust recognises key donors on field trip
The extraordinary circumstances that permit one of the world’s last free roaming population of charismatic mega-fauna living outside a protected area to exist alongside Communities is thanks to the commitment of dedicated conservationists with the backing of visionary sponsors.
By the time of peak colonialism in the 1980’s the naturally occurring desert-dwelling black rhinoceros population of north-west Namibia had crashed to fewer than 50 individuals. Thanks to far-sighted conservationists who knew correctly that the solution lay in partnering with the indigenous Communities – even influencing former poachers to turn gamekeeper, plus the courage of the democratically elected government to embrace Community-based Natural Resource Management (the CBNRM Act was promulgated in 1996), the Rhino population was stabilised and began a remarkable recovery.
In the years that followed more Communities requested to join the custodian program which allowed for range expansion.
With Save The Rhino Trust (SRT) playing a lead role together with IRDNC, WWF, NNF and The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) overseeing the process, this extraordinary turnaround and successful recovery of the desert-dwelling Rhino population continued unabated.
However, from 2012 sinister elements gathered in the form of a brutal poaching outbreak spilling over from neighbouring territories with western Etosha National Park and the corridor through to the Skeleton Coast National Park bearing the brunt of the senseless slaughter.
As the body count rose wild accusations were the order of the day and after decades of positive results for the first time SRT had to face the twin threats of armed and dangerous criminal syndicates coupled with the worst drought experienced in 30 years.
Decades of sustained population growth and recovery had seen SRT settle into it’s mandated, via a Memorandum of Understanding with MET, Rhino monitoring and research role. At this time of slaughter – SRT’s darkest hour – friends were few and the challenges to counter the situation were high.
SRT identified several factors that were hindering the rhino protection effort:
° SRT did not possess enough resources for 24/7/365 coverage, at the time SRT’s resources allowed for an average of 18 days per month in the field.
° Insufficient coordination between conservation and security agencies further exacerbated the patchy protection.
° Monitoring rhino was no longer a sufficient deterrent. People movements had to be monitored and Intelligence efforts required boosting.
MET and the Police, Special Field Force of the Namibia Defence Force, were approached for assistance and by late 2014 there was 365 day coverage with MET, SFF and SRT rotating field presence. Adaptation and adjustments to patrol patterns were modified to further improve coverage.
Over and above the organisation’s mandated wildlife focused Research and Monitoring role, SRT had to adapt to include a human focused anti-poaching component. To achieve this SRT drew on its inter-agency relationships with MET, the Protected Species Division of NamPol, the Namibian Police and the SFF.
The costs to SRT of protecting the enlarged, but now under siege Rhino population, began to rapidly escalate.
Additionally, the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism made the decision to once again dehorn the rhinos as was previously done in the early 80’s to devalue the population.
A key organisation that stepped to the fore at this critical hour was the mining business B2Gold with no less than a Namibian record-setting N$3million sponsorship to SRT for the period 2015 to 2017. During a recent field visit B2Gold generously contributed a further US$50,000 – US$25,000 from the company and US$25,000 personally from Mr Clive Johnson, President & CEO, B2Gold Corp.
B2Gold’s timely largesse enabled SRT to rise to the challenge and rapidly adjust. And the results are hugely positive: a decline in poaching events, down to zero recorded over the recent holiday period.
Since the first rhino was poached in 2012:
° Overall patrol effort has increased by 360%
° Verified rhino sightings have increased by 380%
° The percentage of known individual rhinos seen on average each month has risen from about 20% to nearly 80%
° The number of trained and equipped Conservancy-based Rhino Rangers has grown from 0 to 55 rangers across 13 Conservancies, tripling the field force
° The amount of income generated and distributed back to local communities directly from rhino tourism has increased substantially
° Poaching has been reduced by 80% since the peak in 2013
° In 2017, six separate poaching attempts were foiled by law enforcement who received voluntary pre-emptive intelligence from local informants and the gang of poachers responsible for killing the last rhino in 2017 were caught red-handed and remain in police custody (thanks also to pre-emptive intelligence)
° Rhino monitoring efficiency (as measured by total cost per verified rhino sighting) has decreased by over 50%
Through open and honest communication with our valued stakeholders, partners, donors and supporters we have solidified our support base both locally and internationally. Among who B2Gold must be particularly recognized for both the timing and the scale of their contribution to protecting the desert-dwelling rhinos.
SRT would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to B2Gold represented by Mr Clive Johnson, President & CEO, B2Gold Corp. and Mr Mark Dawe, Country Manager & Managing Director, B2Gold Namibia.
About Save The Rhino Trust
Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) Namibia was established in 1982 as Welfare Organisation No.53 and has been active for over three decades in the conservation of the desert-dwelling black rhino. SRT was founded in collaboration with local Communities, initially to address the drastic decline of the black rhino population in the Kunene (then Damaraland and Kaokoland) during the 1970’s and 1980’s in which time some 95% of all rhino in Africa were lost to poaching.
Over the last three decades, the population of black rhino has increased with an average annual growth of ± 4-5% through joint efforts with the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and Community-based Conservancies, which are legally-recognized, geographically-defined areas formed by Communities who have united to manage and benefit from wildlife and other natural resources on their land.
Through strategic partnerships SRT has raised the profile of this conservation effort at an international level. As a result, many other species have flourished in the region in addition to black rhino.
SRT provides consistent patrolling and monitoring of the black rhino in the Kunene region. Several teams of trackers based on vehicle and foot patrol as well as air reconnaissance deliver the activities. These activities along with Community interactions are the absolute heart of the success of SRT. Teams must be well supplied with equipment and supported to be able to spend maximum time in the field. Whilst maintaining and enhancing data flow so that the database and detailed knowledge of the rhino, their whereabouts, challenges and community support activities as maximised.
It is important to keep in mind that SRT is operating in an area totalling more than a million hectares that has no national park status, few fences and no entry or exit control measures in place.
SRT strongly believes that the most effective means of reducing the poaching threat is maintaining a consistent on-the-ground presence while ensuring that local people are engaged and benefit from rhino. It is clear that in order to protect the black rhino and continue to have their habitat open to them, Communities must see direct benefits and be directly involved in their protection.
Today SRT conducts joint operations with the Namibia Police Force to provide powers of arrest and with Special Field Force, who bear arms. SRT responded to the poaching outbreak through intensifying field patrols and investing further in Community outreach. The most visible of which was the One Voice campaign which delivered the conservation message to thousands of rhino range inhabitants along with the national and international audience.
About B2Gold Corp.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, B2Gold Corp. is one of the fastest-growing, new senior gold producers in the world. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has five operating gold mines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Nicaragua, the Philippines, Namibia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Colombia and Finland. Projected consolidated gold production in 2018 is expected to be between 910,000 and 950,000 ounces.
About B2Gold Namibia
B2Gold Namibia (Pty) Ltd. is a 90% owned subsidiary of B2Gold Corp. The remaining 10% is owned by EVI Mining Company Limited: a Namibian, broad-based economic empowerment group. B2Gold Namibia’s portfolio includes the Otjikoto Mine in north central Namibia a well as extensive base metal concessions in northern Namibia.
B2Gold’s Otjikoto Mine is located on commercial farmland, about 2km to the east of the B1 main road between the towns of Otavi and Otjiwarongo, 300km north of Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek.
Well before starting construction of the Otjikoto Mine, B2Gold committed to the goal of leaving Namibia better off as a result of a mining operation having been there. The strategic goal of B2Gold Namibia is to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development and empowerment to meet the needs of host Communities and to protect the environment on which people depend.
The extraordinary circumstances that permit one of the world’s last free roaming population of charismatic mega-fauna living outside a protected area to exist alongside Communities is thanks to the commitment of dedicated conservationists with the backing of visionary sponsors.
By the time of peak colonialism in the 1980’s the naturally occurring desert-dwelling black rhinoceros population of north-west Namibia had crashed to fewer than 50 individuals. Thanks to far-sighted conservationists who knew correctly that the solution lay in partnering with the indigenous Communities – even influencing former poachers to turn gamekeeper, plus the courage of the democratically elected government to embrace Community-based Natural Resource Management (the CBNRM Act was promulgated in 1996), the Rhino population was stabilised and began a remarkable recovery.
In the years that followed more Communities requested to join the custodian program which allowed for range expansion.
With Save The Rhino Trust (SRT) playing a lead role together with IRDNC, WWF, NNF and The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) overseeing the process, this extraordinary turnaround and successful recovery of the desert-dwelling Rhino population continued unabated.
However, from 2012 sinister elements gathered in the form of a brutal poaching outbreak spilling over from neighbouring territories with western Etosha National Park and the corridor through to the Skeleton Coast National Park bearing the brunt of the senseless slaughter.
As the body count rose wild accusations were the order of the day and after decades of positive results for the first time SRT had to face the twin threats of armed and dangerous criminal syndicates coupled with the worst drought experienced in 30 years.
Decades of sustained population growth and recovery had seen SRT settle into it’s mandated, via a Memorandum of Understanding with MET, Rhino monitoring and research role. At this time of slaughter – SRT’s darkest hour – friends were few and the challenges to counter the situation were high.
SRT identified several factors that were hindering the rhino protection effort:
° SRT did not possess enough resources for 24/7/365 coverage, at the time SRT’s resources allowed for an average of 18 days per month in the field.
° Insufficient coordination between conservation and security agencies further exacerbated the patchy protection.
° Monitoring rhino was no longer a sufficient deterrent. People movements had to be monitored and Intelligence efforts required boosting.
MET and the Police, Special Field Force of the Namibia Defence Force, were approached for assistance and by late 2014 there was 365 day coverage with MET, SFF and SRT rotating field presence. Adaptation and adjustments to patrol patterns were modified to further improve coverage.
Over and above the organisation’s mandated wildlife focused Research and Monitoring role, SRT had to adapt to include a human focused anti-poaching component. To achieve this SRT drew on its inter-agency relationships with MET, the Protected Species Division of NamPol, the Namibian Police and the SFF.
The costs to SRT of protecting the enlarged, but now under siege Rhino population, began to rapidly escalate.
Additionally, the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism made the decision to once again dehorn the rhinos as was previously done in the early 80’s to devalue the population.
A key organisation that stepped to the fore at this critical hour was the mining business B2Gold with no less than a Namibian record-setting N$3million sponsorship to SRT for the period 2015 to 2017. During a recent field visit B2Gold generously contributed a further US$50,000 – US$25,000 from the company and US$25,000 personally from Mr Clive Johnson, President & CEO, B2Gold Corp.
B2Gold’s timely largesse enabled SRT to rise to the challenge and rapidly adjust. And the results are hugely positive: a decline in poaching events, down to zero recorded over the recent holiday period.
Since the first rhino was poached in 2012:
° Overall patrol effort has increased by 360%
° Verified rhino sightings have increased by 380%
° The percentage of known individual rhinos seen on average each month has risen from about 20% to nearly 80%
° The number of trained and equipped Conservancy-based Rhino Rangers has grown from 0 to 55 rangers across 13 Conservancies, tripling the field force
° The amount of income generated and distributed back to local communities directly from rhino tourism has increased substantially
° Poaching has been reduced by 80% since the peak in 2013
° In 2017, six separate poaching attempts were foiled by law enforcement who received voluntary pre-emptive intelligence from local informants and the gang of poachers responsible for killing the last rhino in 2017 were caught red-handed and remain in police custody (thanks also to pre-emptive intelligence)
° Rhino monitoring efficiency (as measured by total cost per verified rhino sighting) has decreased by over 50%
Through open and honest communication with our valued stakeholders, partners, donors and supporters we have solidified our support base both locally and internationally. Among who B2Gold must be particularly recognized for both the timing and the scale of their contribution to protecting the desert-dwelling rhinos.
SRT would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to B2Gold represented by Mr Clive Johnson, President & CEO, B2Gold Corp. and Mr Mark Dawe, Country Manager & Managing Director, B2Gold Namibia.
About Save The Rhino Trust
Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) Namibia was established in 1982 as Welfare Organisation No.53 and has been active for over three decades in the conservation of the desert-dwelling black rhino. SRT was founded in collaboration with local Communities, initially to address the drastic decline of the black rhino population in the Kunene (then Damaraland and Kaokoland) during the 1970’s and 1980’s in which time some 95% of all rhino in Africa were lost to poaching.
Over the last three decades, the population of black rhino has increased with an average annual growth of ± 4-5% through joint efforts with the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and Community-based Conservancies, which are legally-recognized, geographically-defined areas formed by Communities who have united to manage and benefit from wildlife and other natural resources on their land.
Through strategic partnerships SRT has raised the profile of this conservation effort at an international level. As a result, many other species have flourished in the region in addition to black rhino.
SRT provides consistent patrolling and monitoring of the black rhino in the Kunene region. Several teams of trackers based on vehicle and foot patrol as well as air reconnaissance deliver the activities. These activities along with Community interactions are the absolute heart of the success of SRT. Teams must be well supplied with equipment and supported to be able to spend maximum time in the field. Whilst maintaining and enhancing data flow so that the database and detailed knowledge of the rhino, their whereabouts, challenges and community support activities as maximised.
It is important to keep in mind that SRT is operating in an area totalling more than a million hectares that has no national park status, few fences and no entry or exit control measures in place.
SRT strongly believes that the most effective means of reducing the poaching threat is maintaining a consistent on-the-ground presence while ensuring that local people are engaged and benefit from rhino. It is clear that in order to protect the black rhino and continue to have their habitat open to them, Communities must see direct benefits and be directly involved in their protection.
Today SRT conducts joint operations with the Namibia Police Force to provide powers of arrest and with Special Field Force, who bear arms. SRT responded to the poaching outbreak through intensifying field patrols and investing further in Community outreach. The most visible of which was the One Voice campaign which delivered the conservation message to thousands of rhino range inhabitants along with the national and international audience.
About B2Gold Corp.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, B2Gold Corp. is one of the fastest-growing, new senior gold producers in the world. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has five operating gold mines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Nicaragua, the Philippines, Namibia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Colombia and Finland. Projected consolidated gold production in 2018 is expected to be between 910,000 and 950,000 ounces.
About B2Gold Namibia
B2Gold Namibia (Pty) Ltd. is a 90% owned subsidiary of B2Gold Corp. The remaining 10% is owned by EVI Mining Company Limited: a Namibian, broad-based economic empowerment group. B2Gold Namibia’s portfolio includes the Otjikoto Mine in north central Namibia a well as extensive base metal concessions in northern Namibia.
B2Gold’s Otjikoto Mine is located on commercial farmland, about 2km to the east of the B1 main road between the towns of Otavi and Otjiwarongo, 300km north of Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek.
Well before starting construction of the Otjikoto Mine, B2Gold committed to the goal of leaving Namibia better off as a result of a mining operation having been there. The strategic goal of B2Gold Namibia is to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development and empowerment to meet the needs of host Communities and to protect the environment on which people depend.
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