Rwanda to Receive 70 White Rhinos in Landmark Conservation Effort.

Rwanda is preparing to welcome 70 southern white rhinos from South Africa later this month, in what will be the country’s largest rhino relocation to date. The animals will be transported to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s largest wildlife reserve, as part of a major conservation initiative aimed at bolstering rhino populations and strengthening biodiversity.

The journey will cover approximately 3,400 kilometers (2,100 miles), moving the massive animals—each weighing up to two tons—from their current habitats in South Africa to their new home in East Africa. Akagera National Park confirmed the operation in a statement on Thursday, calling it a “key milestone in rhino conservation” and a demonstration of ongoing efforts to protect and sustainably manage the park’s ecosystem.

White rhinos, once widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, have faced dramatic population declines due to decades of hunting and a more recent surge in poaching. The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) reported that rhino poaching across Africa increased by four percent between 2022 and 2023, with at least 586 rhinos killed in the latter year alone.

Currently, the southern white rhino—the subspecies being relocated—is listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated 17,000 individuals remaining in the wild. In contrast, the northern white rhino is on the brink of extinction, with only two females still alive. Conservation scientists are racing against time, using advanced reproductive technologies to create embryos from harvested eggs and frozen sperm in a last-ditch attempt to save the subspecies.

Rwanda previously received 30 white rhinos in 2021, also placed in Akagera National Park, as part of ongoing efforts to reintroduce and protect these iconic animals. The current relocation will serve as a major boost to Rwanda’s conservation ambitions and help establish a new breeding population in the region.

Despite the continued threat of poaching, IRF notes that white rhino numbers are gradually rising in South Africa. By expanding their habitat range through initiatives like this one, conservationists aim to support further population growth and long-term species survival.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-south-african-white-rhinos-relocated.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.