The reserve aims to grow into an example of ethical and effective nature management. By partnering with the reserve, researchers can apply science-based nature management in practice, from monitoring biodiversity to assessing the health of the wider ecosystem.

White and black rhinos are ecosystem engineers that play a central role in restoring Botswana’s natural landscape dynamics. By grazing and browsing, they create habitat mosaics that support diverse herbivore communities and, in turn, strengthen prey availability for predators, while their dung enriches soils and fuels invertebrate food webs. IBED’s Rotem Zilber recently joined the reserve managers during the translocation of a founding population of white rhinos, bringing her expertise and experience in setting up wildlife camera networks for biodiversity monitoring. The translocation will be featured in Floortje Dessing’s TV programme Floortje naar het einde van de wereld, airing on NPO1 on 2 February 2026 at 20:35.

IBED will lend their expertise in biodiversity monitoring using tools that allow managers and scientists to monitor the rhinos, map vegetation and assess how biodiversity across the ecosystem changes over time. The project will also create new opportunities for students to conduct meaningful projects with real-world applications.

For further information, please contact Rotem Zilber