The Back Rhino Custodian Project:

In the beginning of the 20th century about 400`000 black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) roamed widely across the savannas of Africa, only avoiding the equatorial forest belt and some of the most arid desert regions (IUCN). Their number declined to about 65`000 in 1970 (IUCN; Swart et al. 1994; Hearne and Swart 1991) and then drastically crashed to about 2`000 individuals in 1994 (IUCN; IRF), mainly because of poaching (IRF; Swart et al. 1994; Hearne and Swart 1991) and habitat loss resulting from enhanced agriculture and ranching. As a result of breeding programs, the control of poaching, and the international ban for trading with rhino horn (CITES) the total population increased to about 3`100 today (IRF). However, populations are still small and fragmented and today only occur in isolated pockets in Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, described as different subspecies including D.b.minor, D.b.bicornis and D.b.michaelii (Avise 1994). Poaching and demographic troubles are still a big threat facing this extraordinary species.

The biggest wild population of D.b.bicornis is found in Namibia with about 700 individuals being resident in the Etosha National Park (Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism {MET}). A breeding program initiated in 1994 involved the translocation of several Black Rhinos from the Etosha rhino population onto private game farms (>10.000 ha each). The commitment of voluntary farmers and enthusiastic conservationists paid off and the number of rhinos in Namibia increased to 1500 individuals today, distributed in different wild populations (MET) on 23 Wildlife Farms, National parks and Conservancies throughout Namibia. 

In 1997 the farm Kuzikus was invited to take part in the Namibian Rhino breeding project, offering habitat and protection to 6 "Namibian" Rhinos (Diceros bicornis bicornis). Today, 14 years later the commitment to the Rhino breeding program on Kuzikus seems to pay off as 7 Rhino calves have been born on Kuzikus during this time.

For more information see:

http://www.met.gov.na/Directorates/Scientific/Pages/Researchandplanning.aspx

International Rhino Foundation

WWF Black Rhino info 

Save the rhino