During the latter half of November 1983, two white rhino(one male, one female) were captured at Mushandike Sanctuary near Masvingo and translocated to Matusadona. A further three rhinos (one male and two females) were transferred from Hwange National Park, where they had been held since August following their capture on Doddieburn Ranch near West Nicholson. All five rhino travelled in standard rhino translocation crates on trucks and trailers.
During the latter half of November 1983, two white rhino(one male, one female) were captured at Mushandike Sanctuary near Masvingo and translocated to Matusadona. A further three rhinos (one male and two females) were transferred from Hwange National Park, where they had been held since August following their capture on Doddieburn Ranch near West Nicholson. All five rhino travelled in standard rhino translocation crates on trucks and trailers. At Matusadona, the rhino were unloaded into a holding boma consisting of three pens with water and shade. The boma was constructed on open grassland on the Kariba lakeshore near Tashinga, the Park headquarters (Figure 2). Animals were fed and watered daily, fodder being freshly-cut Panicum repens grass. All rhino settled into the pens fairly readily, especially the three Doddie-burn rhino which had become well accustomed to pen life at Hwange. The two Mushandike rhino were released from the holding boma six days after arrival at Matusadona. The three remaining rhino were held for only two days in the boma before their release as they had been penned for nearly three months already. All five animals left the boma site in different directions, with little fuss or difficulty. Subsequent Live Sightings and Mortalities By the end of November all five rhino had been released and regular sightings were being made in the vicinity of the release site. The first rhino to die was a Doddieburn female who died stuck in mud on the lakeshore. This accidental death gave immediate cause for concern lest a similar fate befall the others. An intensive air search located three of the four remaining rhino all within close proximity of Tashinga. Subsequent sightings indicated that the rhino were beginning to move further afield, as much as 15 km away (Figure 2). Commencement of the rainy season restricted coverage of the Park by staff so that sightings became infrequent. On 4 February 1984, a female white rhino was seen alive near the Jenje River, but was found dead 36 hours later on 6 February, in almost the same locality. Apart from a prolonged urination, there had been no obvious symptomsof iliness when theanimal was initially observed on 4 February. The already advanced state of decay prevented the collection of blood or tissue material for pathological examination. Fears of disease threatening the remaining three animals prompted a search and rescue operation which was mounted over the following four days. Intensive air and ground searches failed to locate any of the rhino. Although the aerial search was abandoned, ground patrols located a further two dead rhino on 17 and 21 February. Both animals had been dead approximately 14 and 10 days respectively, indicating that all three rhino died within days of each other. Although the fifth rhino was never found, it was concluded that the animal had succumbed in similar manner.
Indeed, the country's present population of white rhinoceros has been built up since 1962 through introductions from Zululand, following the depletion of the indigenous population shortly after the turn of the century.
During the latter half of November 1983, two white rhino(one male, one female) were captured at Mushandike Sanctuary near Masvingo and translocated to Matusadona.
There is no clear evidence, as yet, that the white rhinoceros was historically widespread in the Zambezi Valley. However, it is possible that this was so during the previous century and before, particularly above the Zambezi escarpment. Selous (1881), Coryndon (1894) and others record that white rhinoceros were common in Mashonaland up until 1890, and the more recent researches of Roth (1967) and Tomlinson (1977) indicate that the species was previously widespread in the country as a whole. The Zimbabwe Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management supports the re-introduction of species previously known to have occurred in a particular locality, and wherever possible this is encouraged.
