South African National Parks (SANParks) and its conservation partners in the Greater Kruger region are in the process of implementing additional strategic and collaborative management interventions as part of an integrated rhino management approach.

As part of several initiatives, some entities will embark on the strategic dehorning of rhinos in the Greater Kruger Protected Area landscape, and Balule Nature Reserve were able to execute dehorning during the last week.

In a seven day, highly specialised operation, the rhino population of Balule has been dehorned.

The operation was carried out with professional precision and in conjunction with our neighbouring reserve. It is believed to have been the largest single dehorning operation yet carried out in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Lowveld focusing on free ranging wild rhinos.

Balule is a Private Reserve, open to the Kruger National Park and its neighbours in the Association of Private Nature Reserves (APNR). It is privately funded and has been hit hard by illegal poaching in the past several years.

The relentless onslaught has reduced the rhino population within Balule by nearly 70% since 2012.

Family groups have been severely compromised and sex ratios skewed leading to a dire situation for the natural prosperity of our rhinos.