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 (a minimum of 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 type.
A part of a rewilding initiative, the rhinos had been transported in two teams of 35 – first by airliner then by highway – from South Africa’s Munywana Conservancy to the Akagera Nationwide Park in Rwanda, central Africa’s largest protected wetland, the Rwanda Growth Board (RDB) mentioned on Tuesday.
“The ultimate section 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 had been then fastidiously loaded by cranes right into a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali Worldwide Airport, and eventually transported to Akagera Nationwide Park by highway,” it mentioned.
The event board mentioned the purpose 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 house 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 had been launched into the Rwandan park after their two-day journey and a veterinary staff will monitor their progress with the intention to “handle any stress related to the transfer and to make sure every rhino adapts effectively to its new surroundings”.
Described as “the primary rhino transfer by air of this scale”, the rewilding initiative goals to help inhabitants progress for white rhinos and “safe a brand new breeding stronghold in Rwanda”.
White rhinos had been as soon as considerable throughout sub-Saharan Africa however their numbers have dramatically fallen attributable to large-scale poaching and searching throughout colonial occasions.
In keeping with the Worldwide Rhino Basis (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 p.c from 2022 to 2023, with a minimum of 586 rhinos poached in 2023.
The southern white rhino, certainly one of two subspecies, is now listed as “close to threatened”, with roughly 17,000 people remaining, in response to 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
