Rwanda receives 70 southern white rhinos in historic translocation to boost conservation

Rwanda has received 70 southern white rhinos from South Africa in a major conservation effort to help restore the species’ population in the country.

The animals were sourced from Munywana Conservancy and transported in two batches of 35.

After being flown to Kigali, the rhinos were moved by road to Akagera National Park, covering a combined distance of over 3,400 kilometres.

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) confirmed the rhino translocation in a statement on Tuesday, explaining that the move is part of African Parks' Rhino Rewild initiative. The project aims to strengthen Akagera’s white rhino population, enabling the park to play a more significant role in regional conservation efforts.

The initiative, the largest of its kind in Africa's history, also aims to translocate 2,000 rhinos to safe, well-managed protected areas across Africa.

Before this, the largest translocation of southern white rhinos in Africa took place on November 27, 2021, when 30 rhinos were moved from Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa to Akagera National Park.

According to RDB, the preliminary stage of the exercise exposed the rhinos to naturally occurring diseases such as trypanosomiasis and climatic conditions similar to Akagera, before setting off for the two-day journey.

"The final phase of the 3,400km journey involved the rhino being transported by truck in individual steel crates from Munywana to King Shaka International Airport in Durban," the RDB said.

"They were then carefully loaded by cranes into a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali International Airport, and finally transported to Akagera National Park by road."

Released into Akagera Park

The rhinos were subsequently released into Akagera Park. A dedicated veterinary team will closely monitor their health and behaviour for several weeks to ensure proper adaptation to their new environment and management of any stress associated with the move.

"Translocations are highly complex operations that demand months of meticulous planning and thorough risk assessments by world-renowned translocation and veterinary experts before implementation," said RDB.

RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika welcomed the move, noting that it highlights Rwanda's growing role in global conservation and supports the country's vision of using well-managed parks to promote sustainable tourism.

"Our commitment to protecting endangered species is closely tied to our vision for sustainable tourism, where thriving wildlife and well-managed protected areas like Akagera National Park create long-term value for both visitors and communities," he said.

"We thank our partners for their continued collaboration and shared commitment to safeguarding Africa's natural heritage."

Other Topics To Read

• Rwanda
• Rwanda
• Akagera National Park
• Rwanda Development Board
• southern white rhinos
• Munywana Conservancy
• African Parks' Rhino Rewild
• Rwanda receives 70 southern white rhinos in historic translocation to boost conservation
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