By Angela Hanunka
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife –DNPW- has relocated a male white rhino from Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park in Livingstone to a temporary, secure holding facility at a private wildlife estate.
The move follows prolonged territorial clashes that posed a threat to both the safety and breeding success of the park’s rhino population.
DNPW Assistant Director for Research, Planning and Veterinary Services, INNOCENT NGOMBWA, told ZNBC News that the park, which is home to ten white rhinos, recorded repeated aggressive encounters between two adult males.
He explained that the conflicts placed the animals at risk and interfered with breeding, slowing the growth of the rhino population.
Dr. NGOMBWA said white rhinos have a clear social structure, where a single dominant bull can successfully mate with up to 15 females.
He noted that the presence of two rival bulls in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park resulted in frequent and violent fights, some carrying a high risk of fatal injury due to the animals’ sharp horns.
Dr. NGOMBWA said as an additional protective measure, DNPW conducted a controlled dehorning exercise.
He said dehorning is an established conservation practice that causes no harm to the animal, as the horn naturally regrows within three to four years.
