Seventy southern white rhinos have made an incredible journey of over 3,400 kilometers from South Africa to Rwanda. This move is being hailed as the largest translocation of rhinos ever attempted. The rhinos were part of a rewilding project aimed at boosting their populations in safe areas.
The journey began at Munywana Conservancy in South Africa. The rhinos were transported in two groups of 35. First, they flew on a Boeing 747 to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. After that, they traveled by truck to Akagera National Park, which is the largest protected wetland in central Africa.
The Rwanda Development Board shared that the final leg of the journey involved moving the rhinos in individual steel crates. They were loaded onto the plane with cranes and then taken to their new home in Rwanda. This operation took two days, and a veterinary team will keep an eye on the rhinos to help them adjust and manage any stress from the move.
The goal of this initiative is to eventually rewild more than 2,000 rhinos across Africa, creating safe and well-managed habitats for them. The rhinos were once plentiful in sub-Saharan Africa, but their numbers have plummeted due to poaching and hunting. Currently, the southern white rhino is listed as "near threatened," with about 17,000 individuals left, while the northern white rhino is critically endangered, with only two known mature adults remaining.
This successful translocation marks a significant step in efforts to restore rhino populations. The project not only aims to secure a breeding stronghold in Rwanda but also to support the long-term survival of these majestic animals.