In 1966, rhinos returned to Swaziland after almost a century of absence. In 1969, the first giraffe was born in Swaziland in more than a century. That same year more than 3,000 acres were added to the original Reilly farm. But, the reappearance of the animals drew not just benign admirers. In the first few years of operation, park rangers removed more than 20,000 wire snares set by poachers.
Rhino horns fetch huge sums in Asia, where they are used as a traditional medicine.
During that time, rangers armed themselves and herded the animals into enclosures for safety. A plan was under way to move the entire population of rhinos to South Africa for safekeeping. Eventually, after the Swazi government passed stiff antipoaching laws and a shootout left two poachers dead, the illegal hunting moved elsewhere. The nation hasn't lost a single rhino since. Still, the subject is a sensitive one.