Hands On Elephant & Black Rhino Sanctuary Detail
Hands On Elephant & Black Rhino Sanctuary
Imire Black Rhino Programme:
During the late 1980’s, at the peak of the rhino-poaching era in Southern Africa, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife decided to remove the remaining 120 black rhino out of the danger zones of the National Parks and into the Intensive Protection Zones of Conservancies.
Imire Safari Ranch offered their expertise and was awarded 7 baby rhino between the ages of 4 and 6 months; 3 males Noddy, Fumbi, Sprinter and 4 females Cuckoo, Mvu, D.J. and Amber.
Initially all efforts were centred around stabilizing the calves condition, introducing them to the correct milk formula, and generally adapting them to their new environment in which we would play a vital role.
All 7 calves have been hand-raised on a bottle for at least 8 years. The rhino were kept on the milk formula for that length of time to continue the human contact and of course as a comforter. They have been raised together as a semi-domesticated herd.
The black rhino have since bred successfully ….the total births on Imire are 13.
All in all Imire Safari Ranch have handled a total of 32 black rhino since the project began in 1987.
We have returned 10 rhino back to the Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe. As the rhino adjusted to their new environment, so they were released. The females have bred successfully within the Park and Imire’s black rhino project continues.
At present we have 3 sub adults on the ranch who are hand fed and handled daily at close quarters.
The rhino are penned in a boma nightly and during the day are taken out onto the ranch with their handlers to browse.
Noddy, our alpha male, has been recently exported to Botswana to a Conservancy where they had no male rhino to serve their females.
Our intentions at Imire are to continue the breeding programme on an intensive scale.
We believe that our policy in removing the calves from their mothers at 8 months has been successful as the mother then reunites to breed with the herd again. The calves, once weaned, are monitored and then released back into the National Parks. This has helped boost the numbers tremendously. Imire Safari Ranch is honoured to be the custodians of Zimbabwe’s black rhino, and we are proud that our breeding station is successful.
Duties with the elephants will include:
- Handling and checking on the training of the elephant • Pen cleaning and feeding
- Chores such as, wood collection, ploughing, and farm work using the elephant
- Elephant patrols and snare sweeps
- Observing the elephant in their natural habitat and spen • Help teach cooperative elephant handling
- Gathering research and data
- Elephant back safaris - camping out in the bush – a treat for you at the end of your stay.
Volunteer Involvement with the Rhino:
- Learn to handle the rhino
- Clean out pens and gather the evening browse
- Walk with the rhino and spend quality time with these wonderful animals in order to collect valuable data on their behaviour and ecology
- Interaction with the baby rhino providing the contact and security they need during this important time in their lives
2011 Project Fees:
2 weeks GBP 780 / EUR 1015 /USD 1285
4 weeks GBP 1470 / EUR 1895 /USD 2425
6 weeks GBP 2160 / EUR 2795 /USD 3565
8 weeks GBP 2845 / EUR 3695 /USD 4695
2012 Project Fees:
2 weeks GBP 970 / EUR 1260 /USD 1545
4 weeks GBP 1835 / EUR 2385 /USD 2895
6 weeks GBP 2695 / EUR 3505 /USD 4275
8 weeks GBP 3545 / EUR 4605 /USD 5630
