Intensive Protection Zones (IPZ)
To try and counter the problems of poaching and the risks associated with dehorning, National Parks in Zimbabwe has introduced a policy to capture and translocate the black rhino from the Lower Zambezi valley to safer parts of the country. These safe areas are called Intensive Protection Zones (IPZs). There are four:- Sinamatella, Matusadona, Chipenge and Matopos.
Some rhino at Sinamatella IPZ have been fitted with radio collars to help monitoring, but these collars have not always been reliable and the batteries need replacing each year – there has also been concern about reduced fertility of the female rhino when darted on a regular annual basis.