In a groundbreaking conservation effort, 70 southern white rhinos have been relocated from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, marking the largest translocation of its kind. The rhinos traveled over 3,400 kilometers by truck and Boeing 747, with the final leg of their journey involving a road transfer from Kigali International Airport to the park.
The Rwanda Development Board said the aim is to eventually rewild more than 2,000 rhinos “to safe, well-managed protected areas across the continent”. The rewilding initiative aims to support population growth for white rhinos and “secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda”. White rhinos were once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa but their numbers have dramatically fallen due to large-scale poaching and hunting during colonial times.
According to the International Rhino Foundation, rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos poached in 2023. The southern white rhino is now listed as “near threatened”, with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The northern white rhino is considered critically endangered, with the number of remaining mature adults listed by the IUCN as two at most.
The relocated rhinos were released into the Akagera National Park after their two-day journey, and a veterinary team will monitor their progress to “manage any stress associated with the move and to ensure each rhino adapts well to its new environment”. The rewilding initiative is described as “the first rhino move by air of this scale”, and it highlights the ongoing efforts to conserve and protect endangered species.
The southern white rhino population has been recovering gradually thanks to decades of protection and breeding efforts. African Parks, which manages 22 protected areas across the continent, plans to return 2,000 southern white rhinos to the wild over the next 10 years. This conservation effort is crucial for the survival of the species and the ecosystem as a whole.
The relocation of the rhinos is a significant achievement, and it demonstrates the commitment of conservation organizations and governments to protecting endangered species. As the rhinos settle into their new home, conservationists will continue to monitor their progress and work towards ensuring the long-term survival of the species.