From poacher to protector: Imvelo’s Community Rhino Conservation Initiative
In 2025, Aardvark Safaris was honoured to name Imvelo’s Community Rhino Conservation Initiative as our primary charity partner. By reintroducing rhinos directly onto communal lands, the project ensures that the local people of Hwange become the primary guardians and beneficiaries of these magnificent animals.
As we move through 2026, the positive momentum of this collaboration is becoming increasingly clear. From the growth of the canine unit to the historic selection of the first female scouts, the initiative is proving that when a community’s livelihood is interwoven with the survival of a species, conservation truly thrives.
In this update, we celebrate the incredible milestones reached over the past year, including the expansion of sanctuary lands and a remarkable feat of “wildlife ophthalmology.” We also share the powerful story of Nyoni, a senior scout whose journey from poacher to protector embodies the very heart of this mission.
Imvelo’s Community Rhino Conservation Initiative
The Initiative invites guests to spend time with the rhino, meet and learn from the scouts and better understand how both rhino conservation and tourism are interwoven in the southern Hwange landscape.
2025 was an exciting year for the community rhino initiative:
- Another two community rhino sanctuaries were fenced off in preparation for the arrival of more rhinos later in 2026.
- 24 more scouts were recruited, selected and trained – including the very first three women creating a 57-person-strong community wildlife protection unit.
- Another dog joined the canine unit.
- The scouts mastered the art of treating one of their rhinos…administering eye medication successfully to a wild rhino is an unlikely feat!
As the initiative expands to cover more community land, welcome more rhino, engage more local people, recruit more community scouts, generate more revenue for community development, the local clinic and irrigated food gardens, so does the responsibility of Imvelo’s scouts to champion the project and ensure the full protection of the rhinos. One scout, Nyoni, has stepped up to the challenge.
Meet Nyoni
Nyoni comes from a local village and was raised by his grandparents along with his two younger sisters. When his grandfather died, Nyoni, still young, took on the heavy responsibility of caring for his family. He tried to grow food in their small garden, but when elephants destroyed his crops, he felt he had no choice but to poach to survive, a need that became even greater when he became a father. He was arrested twice and even served time in jail for poaching, which taught him hard but valuable lessons – how to treat people with respect, manage emotions, stay calm under pressure, and use communication to solve conflicts.
In one of his last poaching incidents, Nyoni was gored by a buffalo. He was rescued by Imvelo’s safari guides and taken to a clinic, a turning point in his life. After that, he made the courageous decision to change his path and was given the opportunity to do so by Imvelo. He trained to become a scout and officially joined the unit in 2020. Nyoni dedicated himself to patrolling and building work, steadily rising through the ranks. Today, he is a Senior scout, managing his teammates and taking on leadership responsibilities. At home, Nyoni is a proud father of five children, and he continues to take care of his grandmother. A natural caretaker, Nyoni gives that same respect and affection to the rhinos.
Helping to equip the front line
Aardvark Safaris is supporting this strong and dedicated team of scouts by contributing £2,000 to the provision of uniforms. Although our 2025 charity term has concluded, we look forward to watching this team grow, and we remain committed to supporting the scouts who are quite literally paving the way for the return of the rhino to communal lands.
Be part of Hwange’s conservation story
The success of the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative relies on the vital link between conservation and tourism. By choosing to stay at Bomani Tented Lodge or Camelthorn Lodge, you contribute directly to the visitor fees and revenue that sustain these sanctuaries and support local village funds. It is a rare opportunity to witness this “ripple effect” in person – spending time with the rhinos, meeting the dedicated scouts like Nyoni, and seeing how the Ngamo community is flourishing.
If you would like to play an active part in this story and experience the magic of Hwange for yourself, please get in touch.
Goliath Safaris[/caption]
Chad Katavi[/caption]
Jack's Camp[/caption]
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