The International Rhino Foundation

TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF RHINOS THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, TARGETED PROTECTION, AND SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND INTERVENTIONS.

ASIA/INDONESIA:JAVAN RHINOS:JAVAN RHINOS HAVE SURVIVED IN UJUNG KULON NATIONAL PARK (UKNP) BECAUSE THEY ARE PROTECTED YEAR-ROUND BY IRF-FUNDED RHINO PROTECTION UNITS (RPUS) AND GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL. CURRENTLY, FIVE FOUR-MAN TERRESTRIAL RPUS PATROL THE PARK A MINIMUM OF 15-DAYS PER MONTH PER TEAM YEAR-ROUND. THREE YEARS AGO, WE LAUNCHED A MARINE PATROL, WITH TWO MARINE UNITS, TO PROTECT THE COASTLINE OF UKNP FROM POACHERS AND ENCROACHERS. THE TWO NEW MARINE RPUS LIVE ABOARD THEIR BOAT, A FLOATING RANGER STATION, AND PATROL UJUNG KULON'S NORTHERN COASTLINE CONTINUOUSLY.IRF HAS FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARK AND LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED PROTECTION SYSTEM IN UJUNG KULON TO AUGMENT TRADITIONAL PATROLLING METHODS BY USING A REAL-TIME SET OF MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS TO PROACTIVELY RESPOND TO INCURSIONS AND INFORM MORE STRATEGIC PATROLLING ACTIVITIES. THIS NEW SECURITY SYSTEM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH ENHANCED MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL RPUS, WILL HELP ENSURE THE POSITIVE TREND IN THE JAVAN RHINO POPULATION CONTINUES.FINALLY, IRF ALSO FUNDS AND SUPPORTS THE JAVAN RHINO MONITORING PROGRAM OPERATED BY THE UJUNG KULON NATIONAL PARK (UKNP) AUTHORITY AND LOCAL NGO ALERT. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFY EVERY JAVAN RHINO IN THE PARK AND TO GATHER IMPORTANT DEMOGRAPHIC AND POPULATION DATA.SUMATRAN RHINOS:THE INTERNATIONAL RHINO FOUNDATION IMPLEMENTS A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH TO SUMATRAN RHINO CONSERVATION, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT AND A LARGER COALITION OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS. OUR STRATEGY INCLUDES PROTECTING RHINOS AND OTHER SPECIES AND THEIR HABITAT THROUGH RHINO PROTECTION UNITS (RPUS) AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION TEAMS (WPTS), RESEARCH ON AND CAPTIVE BREEDING OF THE SPECIES AT SUMATRAN RHINO SANCTUARIES, INTELLIGENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, HABITAT RESTORATION, AND OUTREACH TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES.RHINO PROTECTION UNITS (RPUS) AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION TEAMS (WPTS) ARE ELITE FOUR-PERSON ANTI-POACHING TEAMS THAT PATROL SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HABITATS FOR SUMATRAN RHINOS, TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. IRF PROVIDES CRITICAL SUPPORT FOR THESE UNITS IN THE GUNUNG LEUSER ECOSYSTEM AND WAY KAMBAS NATIONAL PARK, THE TWO REMAINING VIABLE HABITATS FOR SUMATRAN RHINOS. IRF BUILT THE 250-ACRE SUMATRAN RHINO SANCTUARY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL NGO YAYASAN BADAK INDONESIA (YABI) (WHICH CURRENTLY MANAGES IT), THE INDONESIAN MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY, WAY KAMBAS NATIONAL PARK AND TAMAN SAFARI INTERNATIONAL. THE SRS IS HOME TO THE ONLY REPRODUCTIVELY VIABLE CAPTIVE SUMATRAN RHINOS IN THE WORLD. THE FACILITY'S TEN RESIDENT RHINOS - INCLUDING THE TWO NEWEST CALVES, BORN IN SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER 2023 - RESIDE IN LARGE, NATURAL RAINFOREST HABITATS AND RECEIVE STATE-OF-THE-ART VETERINARY CARE AND NUTRITION. INDIA:IRF BEGAN WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM, INDIA, WWF INDIA AND LOCAL NGO AARANYAK IN 2005 TO INCREASE THE RHINO POPULATION IN ASSAM TO 3,000 INDIVIDUALS BY ESTABLISHING POPULATIONS IN NEW AREAS BY 2020. TO DATE, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED THE GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINO POPULATION IN THREE PROTECTED AREAS, POBITORA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, ORANG NATIONAL PARK, AND KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK, AND ESTABLISHED A NEW POPULATION (NOW NUMBERING OVER 40 INDIVIDUALS) IN MANAS NATIONAL PARK.NOW, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A NEW STRATEGY, INDIAN RHINO VISION 2.0 (IRV2.0) TO SECURE AND MANAGE A MINIMUM OF THREE META-POPULATIONS WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF 4,500 - 5,000 GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINOS IN ASSAM BY 2030. THE PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE THE CREATION OF A NEW, SAFE HABITAT FOR GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINOS IN LAOKHOWA AND BURHACHAPORI WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES, WITH ADEQUATE MONITORING AND SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE, STAFF, STRATEGIES AND EQUIPMENT IN PLACE.INDIA AND NEPAL:IRF HAS BEGUN COLLABORATING WITH OUR PARTNER AARANYAK AND LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON A FIVE-YEAR PROJECT TO REMOVE THESE PLANTS FROM MANAS NATIONAL PARK IN INDIA, WHERE AROUND ONE-THIRD OF THE RHINOS' GRASSLAND HABITAT HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN OVER BY INVASIVE SPECIES. WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE PLAN TO RESTORE 250 ACRES DURING THE PILOT PHASE.IN ADDITION TO EXPANDING OUR HABITAT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN MANAS, IRF IS WORKING WITH A LOCAL NGO IN NEPAL, THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR NATURE CONSERVATION (NTNC), TO REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES AND RESTORE RHINO HABITAT IN CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK, HOME TO THE SECOND LARGEST POPULATION OF GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINOS IN THE WORLD.

ZIMBABWE: FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, THE INTERNATIONAL RHINO FOUNDATION AND OUR LOCAL PARTNER, THE LOWVELD RHINO TRUST (LRT), HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS PROTECTING AND EXPANDING THE RHINO POPULATIONS IN ZIMBABWE'S LOWVELD REGION BY EMPHASIZING MANAGEMENT AND SECURITY EFFORTS. THE LOWVELD RHINO TRUST IMPLEMENTS A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM IN THE LOWVELD CONSERVANCIES THAT SUPPORTS ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS, TRACKS AND MONITORS RHINOS, TREATS INJURED RHINOS, REHABILITATES AND RETURNS ORPHANED RHINOS TO THE WILD, AND TRANSLOCATES RHINOS FROM HIGH-RISK AREAS TO SAFER LOCATIONS. THEY HAVE HELPED KEEP THE LOWVELD'S RHINO POPULATION GROWING AT A RATE OF MORE THAN 5% PER YEAR, AN IMPRESSIVE FEAT WHEN RHINO POPULATIONS IN MANY REGIONS ARE IN DECLINE.

SOUTH AFRICA AND ESWATINI (FORMERLY SWAZILAND):THROUGH LOCAL NGO STOP RHINO POACHING (SRP), WE HAVE FUNDED TRAINING FOR MORE THAN 1,000 RANGERS AND HAVE PURCHASED TRACKING DOGS AND SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT FOR RHINO RESERVES IN EIGHT OF THE NINE PROVINCES IN SOUTH AFRICA AND IN ESWATINI. TRAINING PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING YEAR INCLUDE: TACTICAL FIRST AID, INTEGRATED OPERATIONS AND RESERVE READINESS, ADVANCED NIGHT OPERATIONS, INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, AND TECHNOLOGY BEST PRACTICES. IRF AND SRP HAVE ALSO RETAINED AN EXPERIENCED LEGAL FIRM TO CREATE AN INNOVATIVE LEGAL TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL LEVELS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN 54 PRIVATE AND STATE WILDLIFE RESERVES. IRF ALSO SUPPORTS THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN WILDLIFE COLLEGE (SAWC), AN INSTITUTION THAT PROVIDES TRAINING IN ALL ASPECTS OF NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, AND RUNS ANTI-POACHING OPERATIONS (AERIAL SUPPORT AND K9 UNITS) IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, HOME TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST RHINO POPULATION. NAMIBIA:THE COMMUNITY RHINO RANGER (CRR) INCENTIVE PROGRAMME - SPEARHEADED BY IRF'S PARTNER SAVE THE RHINO TRUST (SRT) - ENABLES RHINO CUSTODIANS, WHO APPOINT AND EMPLOY THEIR OWN RHINO RANGERS, TO HIRE RANGERS FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES, MAKING USE OF LOCAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE RHINO MONITORING WHILE PROVIDING INCOME FROM RHINO CONSERVATION. WITH SUPPORT FROM IRF, SRT HAS DEVELOPED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NYAE NYAE CONSERVANCY, A COMMUNAL CONSERVANCY MANAGED BY THE JU/'HOANSI PEOPLE, TO EXPAND THE COMMUNITY RHINO RANGER PROGRAM AND TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR RHINO REINTRODUCTIONS AND RANGE EXPANSION.ZAMBIA:IRF FUNDS A ZAMBIAN NGO, WILDLIFE CRIME PREVENTION (WCP), TO MAP AND DISRUPT ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE NETWORKS SPANNING ACROSS BORDERS IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA. UNDER ITS RHINO HORN TRADE PROJECT, WCP HAS WORKED WITH PARTNERS THROUGHOUT AFRICA TO GATHER SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION ABOUT WILDLIFE CRIMINAL NETWORKS AND THEIR METHODOLOGIES. THEY ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO ZAMBIA'S DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE, RESULTING IN THE ARRESTS OF WILDLIFE CRIMINALS.