Rhino Notching in Pilansberg National Park

On  April, 2012, a rhino notching operation took place at the Pilansberg National Park. “Notching” is a method of marking an animal so that it can be recognised easily by conservationists. It involves cutting a specific pattern onto the ear – similar to the methods used by cattle farmers.

Notching, and data recording allows conservationists to record information about individual rhinos over time including territory/home range, birth rates (calving intervals), associations with other known (notched animals) and eventually age of post reproduction etc.

As a result of the poaching crisis in South Africa, DNA samples are also collected during the notching operation to add to the national DNA database at Onderstepoort. DNA samples can be used as evidence in poaching cases.

The operation was successful thanks to the highly trained team, and the sponsorship of the Volkswagen Amarok vehicle (one of 6 donated byVW Commercial Vehicles) which allowed the team to navigate across rough landscape to get to the tranquilised rhino.