70 South African white rhinos relocated to Rwanda
Kigali (AFP) – Rwanda’s biggest national park announced on Thursday it will be receiving 70 white rhinos from South Africa later this month, in the country’s largest such transfer ever.
White rhinos, once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa, have faced near extinction due to centuries of hunting and a recent poaching crisis. These animals, which can weigh up to two tonnes, are now set to travel approximately 3,400 kilometres (2,100 miles) to their new home in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park.
“This event marks a key milestone in rhino conservation and showcases our collective efforts to protect and sustainably manage Akagera National Park,” the park said in a statement.
Initially decimated by hunting from European settlers, white rhinos later suffered devastating losses from poaching. According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa increased by 4% from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos killed in 2023 alone.
The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is now listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated population of around 17,000 individuals. The northern white rhino, however, is on the brink of extinction, with only two surviving females.
In a last-ditch effort to save the northern white rhino, scientists are harvesting eggs from the younger female, Fatu, and combining them with sperm from two deceased males in an unprecedented breeding programme—offering the subspecies its final chance of survival.
Rwanda, aiming to establish itself as a leading safari destination, welcomed 30 white rhinos to Akagera National Park in 2021. Despite ongoing threats, the population of white rhinos is reportedly increasing in South Africa, according to the IRF.
This new translocation initiative seeks to bolster population growth and establish a secure breeding stronghold in Rwanda.
This story was adapted from here
