A group of Southern White Rhinos captured in South Africa's North West province in 2023. Credit: Luca Sola /AFP
(The Post News)- Seventy southern white rhinos have successfully completed an arduous 3,400-kilometer (over 2,100 miles) journey from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. This ambitious translocation, described as the largest of its kind to be undertaken by air, represents a crucial step in global efforts to establish new, secure populations of these magnificent animals in central Africa.
The complex operation saw the rhinos moved in two distinct groups of 35. The process began with their careful transportation by truck in individual steel crates from South Africa’s Munywana Conservancy to King Shaka International Airport in Durban. From there, they were loaded onto a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali International Airport, and finally transported by road to their new home in Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s largest protected wetland. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) confirmed the final phase of the journey on Tuesday, with each group’s move spaced three days apart.
Upon their arrival, the rhinos were released into the park, and a dedicated veterinary team immediately began monitoring their progress. This close observation is vital to manage any stress associated with the move and to ensure each rhino adapts well to its new environment following the demanding two-day journey.
This rewilding initiative, a collaborative effort involving the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Akagera National Park, and African Parks, aims to support population growth for white rhinos and secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda. The RDB stated that the long-term goal is to rewild more than 2,000 rhinos into safe, well-managed protected areas across the African continent.
The translocation comes at a critical time for rhino conservation. White rhinos were once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa, but their numbers have dramatically fallen due to large-scale poaching and hunting, a challenge exacerbated during colonial times. While the southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is currently listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, the threat of poaching remains a significant concern. According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 percent from 2022 to 2023, resulting in at least 586 rhinos being poached last year.
The stark reality of rhino conservation is further highlighted by the critically endangered status of the northern white rhino, with the IUCN listing only two mature adults remaining globally.
The successful relocation of these 70 southern white rhinos to Akagera National Park is a beacon of hope, demonstrating what can be achieved through dedicated international cooperation and robust conservation strategies in the face of ongoing threats to Africa’s precious wildlife.
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