Walking with Rhinos and Rangers

by Tim L. Tetzlaff, Director of Conservation,
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

“Want to take a walk?” I wasn’t sure if Deogratius Maige was making a genuine offer or having fun with me. As our safari vehicles had just followed a ranger’s pickup truck off road within sight of a black rhino, I presumed he was making a joke, as Maige often has a smile on his face. But I was mistaken and a few moments later the Rhino Coordinator of Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and I threaded a path through the grasses toward this very special rhino given the name Vickie.

Vickie was born in 1975, making her one of the survivors of the poaching onslaught that felled black rhino numbers by 98% in the last decades of the twentieth century. In her home country of Tanzania, she had been one of just fifteen left by the 1990s. Standing before her that day, I was grateful she didn’t indiscriminately hold a grudge against every member of the species who exterminated her kind.

It was a gracious response, as I doubt Vickie understands that many humans have diligently worked to ensure that she and other rhinos survived into the new century. Not a few of those dedicated souls have lost their lives in that mission – up to the present day. A monument to their sacrifices rests atop the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. A few months later, such risks became tangible as I walked with Maige alongside rangers to their outposts one evening, including one that’s reinforced as a fallback position in a firefight. Because of dedication to this rhino survival, Tanzania is now home to over two hundred black rhinos. But the threat is ever present. Yet, so is the joy. A rhino had just been born a couple days before. “If it’s a boy, we may call him Tim,” Maige smiled. Again, I wasn’t sure if he was joking.

And that’s good. Resilience and humor are critical in conservation. It’s a hard world. It has been profoundly rewarding to spend the last decade working with colleagues in Tanzania who have now become trusted friends and I theirs. It all began with naturalist Albert Mollel fourteen years ago and he has since become Naples Zoo’s Rhino Coordinator. A couple months ago, we were all able to celebrate together down in Ngorongoro Crater as Naples Zoo presented two new Toyota Land Cruiser double-cab pickup trucks special-ordered to meet the specifications of this tough work. This effectively doubled the number of vehicles available to rangers. I am beyond grateful to the safari travelers and other donors who made this happen. You can see the video created by the Tanzanian government at https://qrco.de/blackrhino and if you’d like to see this work in person, join me on safari next year: www.napleszoo.org/travel.

Yet these vehicles and equipment like tents, binocular telescopes, night vision scopes, and veterinary equipment are just one aspect of this support. Through building this trust, connections can be made between the expertise and resources within the zoo community and the needs of field partners on the ground. For example, breeding programs for animals within accredited zoos are carefully managed for genetic integrity. Those needs are growing more important within fragmented populations of wild animals and trust becomes paramount especially when it involves species coveted by the multibillion-dollar illegal wildlife trade. Indeed, trusting relationships are the heart of conservation efforts at Naples Zoo as we foster long term conservation partnerships – some going back nearly thirty years.

I realize for most of us, rhinos and their protectors remain distant. Yet rhinos are part of our common heritage and people like you and me want to leave a world to our children where magnificent survivors like Vickie still roam – and a rhino named Tim can grow old on the plains of Africa. So yes, that baby rhino was a boy, and Maige wasn’t joking that time either.

Support efforts like these by donating to the Naples Zoo Conservation Fund. 100% of what we receive is dedicated to field efforts. Make checks payable to Naples Zoo, 1590 Goodlette Rd N, Naples FL 34102 and put the word “conservation” in the memo.

For other ways to donate, see www.napleszoo.org/donate.