Bio-diversity

The project intends to bring on board and allow contribution of communities living adjacent to rhino habitats to participate in the management of rhinos under the roaming rhino operation currently implemented by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Anti Poaching Unit. To realise the goal of community participation in rhino management, the project will mobilise and educate the communities living in areas adjacent the habit on the value of rhinos as they are a rare and endangered species under the CITES listings, contribution to the economy through tourism and the need for active policing to ensure their existence. In addition, the project will train communities especially Community Escort Guides, Professional Guides and Polers on identification of rhinos using identification kits in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. The training will increase the number of agents policing rhinos hence ensure the nation especially DWNP secure rhinos with minimum efforts and resources. Moreover, the production of educational/promotional material and outreach activities will be geared towards creating Friends of the Rhinos hence ensuring their existence and sustenance of rhinos in the wild as a free roaming population. Furthermore, this will allow rhinos to roam and increase their ranges as they are territory animals without DWNP incurring expenses of translocating them back to their initial designated home range.

Botswana