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Two batches of 35 rhinos moved by truck and airliner as a part of main rewilding effort involving South Africa and Rwanda.
Seventy southern white rhinos have accomplished a journey of greater than 3,400 kilometres (no less than 2,112 miles) by truck and Boeing 747 from South Africa to Rwanda in what has been described as the most important translocation of its sort.
A part of a rewilding initiative, the rhinos have been transported in two teams of 35 – first by airliner then by street – from South Africa’s Munywana Conservancy to the Akagera Nationwide Park in Rwanda, central Africa’s largest protected wetland, the Rwanda Improvement Board (RDB) mentioned on Tuesday.
“The ultimate part of the three,400km journey concerned the rhino being transported by truck in particular person metal crates from Munywana to King Shaka Worldwide Airport in Durban,” the RDB mentioned.
“They have been then rigorously loaded by cranes right into a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali Worldwide Airport, and at last transported to Akagera Nationwide Park by street,” it mentioned.
The event board mentioned the intention was to finally rewild greater than 2,000 rhinos “to secure, well-managed protected areas throughout the continent”.
📹 70 southern white rhinos have discovered a brand new residence in @AkageraPark! 🦏
In partnership with @AfricanParks, Rwanda is restoring the park’s ecosystem and defending rhino populations for future generations. 🌿#VisitRwanda🇷🇼 pic.twitter.com/cWbGp45vu1
— Go to Rwanda (@visitrwanda_now) June 10, 2025
The rhinos have been launched into the Rwandan park after their two-day journey and a veterinary group will monitor their progress with the intention to “handle any stress related to the transfer and to make sure every rhino adapts properly to its new setting”.
Described as “the primary rhino transfer by air of this scale”, the rewilding initiative goals to assist inhabitants progress for white rhinos and “safe a brand new breeding stronghold in Rwanda”.
White rhinos have been as soon as plentiful throughout sub-Saharan Africa however their numbers have dramatically fallen as a consequence of large-scale poaching and searching throughout colonial occasions.
Based on the Worldwide Rhino Basis (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 p.c from 2022 to 2023, with no less than 586 rhinos poached in 2023.
The southern white rhino, one in all two subspecies, is now listed as “close to threatened”, with roughly 17,000 people remaining, in accordance with the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The northern white rhino is taken into account critically endangered, with the variety of remaining mature adults listed by the IUCN as two at most.
70 southern white rhino accomplished a 3,400 km journey from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera Nationwide Park. The translocation was advanced and was accomplished in two phases, every comprising 35 rhino, spaced three days aside. pic.twitter.com/dv3fLFpl03
— Akagera Nationwide Park (@AkageraPark) June 10, 2025
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