May 13th, 1998
(En Français)

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Northern white rhinoceros in Garamba National Park
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Gland, Switzerland -- In spite of widespread fears for its survival, the world's most threatened sub-species of rhinoceros, the Northern White Rhino, survived last year's civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaïre) and there is still hope the world will be able to save the critically endangered species, WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature said today.
A survey of the status of the rhino population and its habitat currently being carried out by WWF in Garamba National Park, in the northeast of the country, has shown at least 24 animals to have survived or been born since fighting broke out in 1996, when WWF conservation specialists had to be evacuated from the area. Garamba is the only known place on Earth where the Northern White Rhino still exists in the wild.
"We were afraid what we would find," said Dr. Sheila O'Connor, Interim Director of the WWF Africa & Madagascar Programme. "Given the relative instability in the area, it was impossible to carry out any conservation activities for most of last year and it was not until recently that we were able to go into the park, pick up what was left and continue our work. But with an estimate of only 20-30 individuals before the war started, the number of survivors was anybody's guess."

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Sedated northern white rhino having radio-tracking collar
fitted.
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WWF said there had been poachers well-established in the 492,000-hectare park late last year, but now it appears that they have moved out of the protected area, a savannah ecosystem which offers little cover for the large mammals. Garamba is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Among the 24 rhinos observed in aerial surveys done in Garamba last week, there were at least 3 young ones born within the last year, with the possibility of a fourth yet to be confirmed. WWF will continue to conduct surveys of the rhinos in Garamba during the entire month of May, at the end of which a more detailed account of the individual rhinos present in the park should be available.
"The new commitment to conservation in Garamba made by the Congolese authorities is another reason for optimism," said Dr. O'Connor. "Thanks to the swift action by the authorities we were able to bring in some 3 tonnes of equipment for the park that was urgently needed to replace that lost during the war. They have also been very proactive in re-organizing park staff and arranging for delayed salary payments."
The strong drive by the Congolese government to bring the situation in Garamba and other protected areas under control has been fuelled by the recognition of authorities, including President Laurent Désiré Kabila himself, that the country -one of the richest in terms of biological diversity in the whole of Africa- needs to rebuild its conservation agenda. Following last February's visit to Kinshasa by WWF Director General Claude Martin, WWF has assisted the new authorities at the Ministry of the Environment and at the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature in their first steps towards re-establishing conservation programmes and partnerships to ensure the sustainable use of the country's vast natural resources.
WWF began its involvement in rhino conservation in Garamba in 1984 when the estimated total population of rhinos in the area was thought to be possibly as low as 13 individuals. "That there are at least 24 now is for us a great source of encouragement and a testament to the endurance of the species," said Dr. O'Connor.
For more information, please contact
Javier Arreaza,
WWF International,
tel. 41 22 364 9550,
fax 41 22 364 8307,
e-mail: jarreaza@wwfnet.org