Ceratotherium simum. In 1967 four white rhino were introduced to the Victoria Falls (Zambezi) National Park but two died and the remainder were removed to Wankie (Hwange) National rark (Tomlinson, 1977). In 1968 two white rhino whose place of origin is uncertain were resident in parts of the Matetsi ranching area, but they were translocated to Hwange (Herbert and Austen, 1972).
see also a map. The Matetsi Parks and Wild Life Area extends over 4446 sq km in the north-west of Zimbabwe and includes the Kazuma Pan National Park, Kazuma Forest, Matetsi Safari Area, Pandamasui Forest and Zambezi National Park. Until 1974 land which now forms the Matetsi Safari Area was occupied by cattle or cattle and game ranches that in general were poorly developed or uneconomic. As the area was unsuitable for other agricultural pursuits the land was purchased by the Government, incorporated within the Parks and Wild Life Estate and declared a safari area in 1973. Conservation strategy for the area includes the reintroduction of species that are believed to have occurred in the recent past. Although there are no historical records of either black rhinoceros or white rhinoceros occuring in Matetsi, they were both recorded along the Deka River on the south-east border (Roth, 1967). Habitats within Matetsi are similar to those along the Deka River and it seems likely that both species had occurred in Matetsi.
Between August and October 1975 black rhino were captured in the Siabuwa area south of Lake Kariba where they were coming under increasing pressure from an expanding human population.
In 1967 four white rhino were introduced to the Victoria Falls (Zambezi) National Park but two died and the remainder were removed to Wankie (Hwange) National Park (Tomlinson, 1977).
