Saving Africa’s Rhinos From Extinction

By Steve Bynum, Jerome McDonnell
A team from the International al Rhino Foundation tends to a black rhino in Zimbabwe.
A team from the International al Rhino Foundation tends to a black rhino in Zimbabwe. Marketwire
A team from the International al Rhino Foundation tends to a black rhino in Zimbabwe.
A team from the International al Rhino Foundation tends to a black rhino in Zimbabwe. Marketwire

Saving Africa’s Rhinos From Extinction

By Steve Bynum, Jerome McDonnell
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Rhinos in Zimbabwe teetered on the brink of extinction well into the 1990s. Superstitions about the healing properties of Rhino horns and demand for aesthetically pleasing jewelry created a furry for hunting rhinos. Conservationist Clive Stockil took on the mission of saving the black and white rhinos of Zimbabwe. He helped create Save Valley Conservancy, one of Africa’s largest private game reserves. His work also engaged indigenous communities to create an atmosphere of respect towards tribal peoples’ hunting needs.

Stockil, also chairman of the Lowveld Rhino Trust based in Southeast Zimbabwe, tells us about his work that has helped Zimbabwe’s Rhinoceros population rebound. Joining Stockil is Stuart Strahl, CEO and president of the Chicago Zoological Society, which oversees Brookfield Zoo and will be giving Stockil the George B. Rabb Conservation Medal.