Restocking and reintroductions

Black and white rhino, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, roan antelope, ostrich and oribi were present on the reserve historically, but by 1994 were either extinct or in numbers so low as to be non-viable. To re-establish their populations, the following founder animals were purchased between 1996 and 1998: 15 white rhinos (South Africa), 28 black rhinos (South Africa), 30 hartebeest (Zambia), 30 roan (Malawi & South Africa), and 40 ostrich (Zimbabwe).

The rhinos have done particularly well, and we have translocated thirty-seven white and eighteen black rhinos have already been translocated to start new populations in other conservation areas in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Re-establishment of hartebeest has been partially successful (Clegg et al. 2013), with the free-ranging population currently estimated at 80 animals.  Attempts to re-establish free-ranging roan and ostrich failed. Roan calves are susceptible to theileriosis, a tick-borne disease that is prevalent at Malilangwe. Infected calves die within two weeks of birth if left untreated. This, coupled with the impact of lion predation and other diseases renders Malilangwe no longer suitable for roan. Too much has changed over the years as a consequence of man’s influence. For example, brown ear and red legged ticks, which are the primary hosts of theileriosis, are currently the most abundant species of tick at Malilangwe, but these were unknown in the area in the 1960’s. They were possibly introduced with the advent of commercial cattle ranching. Most of the 40 ostriches that were released between 1995 and 1996 were eaten by lions. Provision of artificial water has allowed lions to expand their range away from the major river systems and into areas that were historic refugia for water independent species such as ostrich. While artificial water supplies remain, Malilangwe is unlikely to support a viable population of ostrich.

The land redistribution programme instituted by the Zimbabwean government in 2000 had little direct effect on Malilangwe, but it did impact neighbouring Hippo Valley Game Section (HVGS). Settlers moved onto this area from adjacent communal lands and levels of poaching increased. This, coupled with high levels of lion predation on Malilangwe and an outbreak of Anthrax in 2004, resulted in steep declines of most game populations because animals could move freely across the Chiredzi River from Malilangwe onto the HVGS. To control the poaching, Malilangwe took over the management of security on the HVGS in 2007, and a fence enclosing the area with Malilangwe was completed in 2009. Half of Malilangwe’s lion population left in 2006 because anthrax had reduced the prey base to such an extent that it was more profitable for lions to hunt domestic stock in the surrounding communal lands. With the reduction in the lion population and lower levels of poaching on the HVGS, game populations began to increase. To speed up the recovery, a large restocking programme was undertaken between 2008 and 2010. The following animals were purchased and released onto Malilangwe: 14 nyala, 79 zebra, 29 sable, 141 waterbuck, 110 eland, 105 warthog, 442 kudu, and 211 wildebeest. Recovery was rapid thereafter with most populations reaching carrying capacity by 2014.