What is the Grumeti Fund?
The Grumeti Fund is a non-profit organisation based in Tanzania whose mission is to support the conservation of the iconic, biodiversity-rich Serengeti ecosystem. Their work in the western corridor of the Serengeti aims to protect the landscape and enhance the well-being of both people and wildlife within the Grumeti Concessions, in collaboration with key government and community stakeholders. These efforts include supporting initiatives to re-establish black rhinos in the Ikorongo Game Reserve and adjacent areas.
Grumeti Fund Black Rhino Program
The effort to save this charismatic species is a response to a tragic history of decline and persecution. During the poaching crisis of the 1970s and 1980s, black rhino populations were decimated across their range. Tanzania was no exception, losing more than 90% of its black rhino population during that period. In the aftermath of this crisis, the IUCN classified the eastern black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaelli) as Critically Endagered on its Red List.
Encouragingly, there is renewed hope thanks to improved security across many protected areas, stronger collaboration among stakeholders, and greater prospects for successful conservation initiatives, including those focused on the black rhino. Although threats remain, there is a strong commitment to re-establishing the species throughout its former range, including our focal area. This collective effort represents a deliberate attempt to prevent the extinction of a species that is vital to both ecological balance and wildlife-based tourism.
Non-governmental organisations such as the Grumeti Fund play a critical role in this endeavour. The Grumeti Fund’s first rhino conservation initiative dates back to 2007, when, two black rhinos were reintroduced from Port Lympne Park in the United Kingdom. Its most recent and ambitious undertaking was the translocation of nine black rhinos from Thaba Tholo, South Africa, to Ikorongo in late 2019. These animals are now once again roaming freely in the wild after decades of human-induced absence from the area.
Our Contribution to the Grumeti Fund
The support provided by the VGP Foundation will directly cover part of the costs of repatriating another group of up to eight eastern black rhinos to the Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserve during the 2021-2022 period. The rhinos will come from the Aspinall Foundation (UK) and Thaba Tholo Game Ranch. The Grumeti Fund continues to engage donors, stakeholders, and private individuals to help cover the remaining funding gap.
Total project costs (including both funded and unfunded expenses) amount to approximately USD 1.1 million. These costs cover rhino acquisition, capture operations, pre- and post-capture holding, release activities, veterinary care, transportation, and ground logistics.
Why Do We Support the Black Rhino Program?
Although the VGP Foundation typically supports projects located in Europe, with the exception of its support for the iconic snow leopard conservation programme in Central Asia, we decided to support the reintroduction of black rhinos into the wild because of the urgent need to help save and protect this species. Today, only around 5,500 black rhinos remain in the wild.
And why the Grumeti Fund?
In 2019, the Grumeti Fund carried out the largest rhino translocation ever undertaken in Tanzania, increasing the national black rhino population by almost 10%. Their anti-poaching unit continuously monitors the rhinos to ensure their well-being and protect them from poachers.
The Grumeti Fund also combines wildlife conservation with a comprehensive educational programme for local communities. This programme aims to empower local people and future generations to actively contribute to the protection of the Serengeti ecosystem
“We are very grateful to the VGP Foundation and the other donors who have supported this work to date. We are fully aware that this important and ambitious, yet highly delicate, work requires unwavering support from all stakeholders and well-wishers, regardless of the size of their financial or in-kind contributions.”
– Grumeti Fund
