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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - South Africa |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Status |
| Species: |
African Rhino Species |
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By 1961 numbers had increased to 300 in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve alone. However, the incredibly high population density of 1.1 animals per sq. km was probably excessive and a die-off of 15 per cent occurred over a four-month period in that year. To relieve local high densities a further 35 animals were removed from this reserve between 1961 and 1972, but the population continued to decline in a density dependent way, probably influenced by habitat changes resulting from other management procedures, chief of which was the removal of predominantly grazing animals from the area. This, it has been postulated, led to improved grassland conditions, giving rise to fires that were able to penetrate and reduce the size and density of the Acacia thickets which were the black rhino's optimum habitat. At present the Hluhluwe population is considered static but subject to a further decline if the habit continues to change to a more open wooded grassland. In the Umfolozi Gam Reserve and the corridor of state land linking it with Hluhluwe black rhino have increased slowly over the years, as has the population of the Mkuzi Game Reserve.
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Black rhinoceros in Southern Africa
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