Antelope Park joins White Rhino fight

RARE are these moments when humanity and wildlife live together in harmony for their mutual good.

I am quick share the same popular sentiments expressed by other guests and volunteers at Antelope Park Game Reserve, that we always look forward to the next trip to one of the country’s leading private game reserves.

Popular as a conservancy to the lion and situated about 300km away from my base in Harare on the outskirts of the Midlands province capital in Gweru,

This game reserve in Zimbabwe where each visit is always intriguing and different from the past.

Sitting on 3 000 acres it is home to several indigenous animals from the African continent including the elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impalas among others.

That is not all, it is also the proud habitat of the white-chested fish eagle, vulture and hornbill among other birds.

This occasion my visit was more exciting for me because I was booked for three days in one of the six walk-in safari river tents.

My tent was the furthest from the rest.

While it was a bit scary, my fears quickly vanished the moment I was inside my comfortably furnished tent.

Charming was the natural balance between the comforts of home and sleeping in the African bush.

But it was my last activity at Antelope Park that was more revealing and challenging.

This might come as a surprise for one who had enjoyed the unforgettable activities that included elephant interaction, game drives, the lion feed, bird-viewing and canoeing.

What will remain etched in my mind is the sight of two female White Rhinoceros under round-the-clock protection by armed guards in the open savannah grasslands.

This is now the case with the White Rhino endangered square-lipped species at Antelope Park, one of the Zimbabwe’s leading private game reserves.

Our young  female guide Delight Gambiza informed us that the male rhino was  some distance away.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) reported that there are now an estimated 16 803 white rhinos.

Antelope Park has joined the greatest success conversation story is in southern Africa were the white rhino recovered from near extinction from 100 in the 1990s to the current over 16 000.

The  is first increase for the species in over a decade.

Their easy visibility and territorial behaviour make them favourites for local and international tourists who flock to Antelope Park.

The semi social and territorial mammals tend to prefer short grasses and use their square-shaped lips to crop the grass close to the ground.

These wide-mouths are perfectly adapted to their diet made up of a variety of grasses found in their grassland and savannah habitats.

However, it is the human and financial costs for the upkeep and safety of the White Rhino which enjoys a lifespan of over 50 years are quite enormous.

In the last decade, more than 1 000 rangers worldwide are reported to have lost their lives in the line of duty.

According to the Save the Rhino International website there is need to ensure that the ranger teams have the kit needed to protect rhino populations like good quality shoes, backpacks and accommodation.