IRF’s 2023 Rhino Research Funding

Undertaking both applied and basic research on wild rhino populations, as well as those in captive breeding programs, is an essential aspect of rhino conservation. The International Rhino Foundation (IRF), the only organization to provide funding strictly for rhino research, is pleased to announce that our 2023 research grant program will distribute nearly $300,000 to fund nine worthy rhino studies. These grants target key areas that address some of the greatest challenges those working to conserve rhinos face in maintaining healthy, self-sustaining populations that will survive well into the future. Below is a summary of this year’s grants, broken down by research area.

Determination of the conservation value of different rhino populations (three grants)

Project Title: Genetic diversity in southern white rhino (SWR) from the Munyawana Conservancy, and optimal composition of founder populations established from this resource.

Location: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Collaborating Organizations: Munyawana Conservancy, University of the Free State

Private reserves are increasingly becoming the stronghold for rhino populations, but most of these smaller protected landscapes do not have the massive carrying capacity of state or provincial reserves such as Kruger National Park. As such, these smaller populations are more prone to inbreeding risks. This study will assess the genetic diversity of a white rhino population in the Munyawana Conservancy, which has been a source population of 182 animals for translocation across Southern and East Africa. Examining the genetic diversity of this population will ensure that loss of diversity does not occur and that the right mix of animals is chosen for re-introductions and augmentations.

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Project Title: Examination Of Parentage Among Black Rhinoceros To Inform Future Management Within Zimbabwe. 

Location: Raleigh, North Carolina 

Collaborating Organizations: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Lowveld Rhino Trust

This project will generate genetic profiles for black rhinos collected over the past twenty years. Specifically, researchers will reconstruct familial relationships to better understand reproductive success among male black rhinos in populations where dehorning and translocations occurred for conservation. It is unknown if dehorning or translocations have impacted mating patterns in black rhinos, and reconstructing familial relationships can provide information on reproductive success in males. Black rhinos have low genetic diversity, which means researchers need many genetic markers to ensure accuracy in estimated familial relationships. This project seeks to understand how many of these genetic markers are required to determine parentage, especially in situations where DNA is degraded from age or environmental conditions. Determining parentage (i.e. the reconstruction of familial relationships through genetic analysis) will provide critical information about the reproductive success of male black rhinos and help examine management practices and understand population dynamics of black rhinos over time. The findings from this project will inform conservation management decisions for ongoing meta-population management of the Lowveld rhino populations and will be applicable to rhino breeding programs elsewhere in Africa. 

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Project Title: Applied conservation research for metapopulation management approaches of the critically endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis minor) in South Africa.

Location: South Africa

Collaborating Organizations: University of Pretoria, World Wildlife Fund South Africa

While black rhino populations have doubled since the 1990s, the species remains critically endangered and requires careful protection and management measures. This project will perform a meta-analysis on the existing detailed long-term data from the fourteen Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) sites in South Africa and one site in Malawi to understand population performance and its drivers at an individual site and metapopulation level. The research will develop an understanding of the current population and subsequently the meta-population dynamics of the BRREP sites to determine to what extent these populations align with metapopulation criteria and the factors influencing this. The research will also enable a review of the efficacy of interventions to improve management practices and will be used to inform best-practice metapopulation management strategies for the continued conservation success of this critically endangered species.

Development of standardized and consistent reporting mechanisms and methodologies for confirming Sumatran and Javan rhino species population sizes and their dynamics (one grant)

Project Title: Investigating the Genetic Profile of Javan Rhino Population in Ujung Kulon National Park. 

Location: Java, Indonesia

Collaborating Organizations: Aliansi Lestari Rimba Terpadu (ALeRT), Biodiversiti Indonesia Forum (BIOINFO)

The current population of Javan rhinos, all of whom live in one national park, is less than 76 individuals. This project will examine the genetic variability (high or low heterozygosity) using mitochondrial DNA, microsatellite, and molecular sexing within this population as well as look at the variation between groups of rhinos living in the same protected area. By understanding the genetic variability in the current population of Javan rhinos, conservationists can develop a population management strategy to improve genetic quality, allowing the species to adapt to future environmental changes and avoid inbreeding. 

IRF extends our thanks to all of the researchers who submitted proposals, and congratulations to the new grantees! These projects are only possible because of donations to IRF made by supporters like you.

If you would like to make a contribution to protect rhinos, please visit our donation page here.