Krystina Reimer
Gonarezhou Conservation Trust's page
Fundraising for Save the Rhino International
Story
After the success of last years London Marathon, and the support shown towards Save the Rhino International and our Gonarezhou Team, we are excited to have the opportunity to send a new team this year!
This year we opened up the marathon selection to all GCT staff members with a gruelling 25km race. From our administration team/workshop we have selected GCT Director - Hugo van der Westhuizen and assistant mechanic Michael Hlengani. From our security team we have selected Ranger Victor Gutu and Ranger Promise Kanuka. Running in support of the GCT team will be Louise van der Westhuizen.
We will be raising money to support Save the Rhino International's work in supporting rhino conservation in various sites around the world, and the reintroduction of black rhino into Gonarezhou National Park, which has now been firmly set to take place in 2020.
A brief history of black rhino in Gonarezhou
The last of the original black rhino population in the area was killed sometime between the 1930s and 1940s. This is a vague timeline, but with 500 000 hectares of remote and rugged bush country a more exact estimate is not possible. A reintroduction project between 1969 and 1977 brought 77 black rhino back into the area. Their numbers grew to 140 before the civil war in neighbouring Mozambique resulted in Gonarezhou being closed to the public. The wave of rhino poaching sweeping through the continent in the early 1980’s did not spare Gonarezhou, and by 1994 the black rhino population was tragically locally extinct for the second time.
