Of all of Africa’s endangered species, the black rhino is unique because almost 100% of its decline can be attributed not to habitat loss or human-wildlife conflict but to outright poaching. Today, the resurgence in poaching has left the black rhino more vulnerable than ever before.
Established in 1986 at the base of Ngulia Hills, the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary remains a stronghold for black rhinos as well as a breeding ground to help bolster other rhino sanctuaries and wild populations. In 2007, the sanctuary was expanded from 24 square miles to 35 square miles, allowing rhinos more room to roam alongside a multitude of other wildlife, including elephants.
At the base of Ngulia Hills, this 90-sq-km area is surrounded by a 1m-high electric fence and provides a measure of security for around 80 of the park’s highly endangered black rhinos. There are driving tracks and waterholes within the enclosed area, but the rhinos are mainly nocturnal and the chances of seeing one are slim – black rhinos, apart from being understandably shy and more active at night, are browsers, not grazers, and prefer to pass their time in thick undergrowth
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