Rhinos Return: 70 White Rhinos Moved to Rwanda Park

In a historic conservation milestone, 70 southern white rhinos have been relocated from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park.

The two-day journey involved air and road transport over 3 000 kilometres earlier this week, making it the largest rhino translocation ever undertaken.

The move was part of the Rhino Rewild Initiative, led by African Parks in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board and supported by the Howard G Buffett Foundation. The goal is to rewild over 2 000 rhinos across Africa in the next decade.

Akagera previously received 30 white rhinos in 2021, whose numbers have since grown to 41. This latest effort bolsters the park’s conservation role and reinforces the central African nation’s reputation as a leader in wildlife protection.

Once decimated by poaching and colonial-era hunting, white rhino populations remain vulnerable. About 17 000 southern white rhinos survive today, while the northern subspecies is critically endangered.

A veterinary team will monitor the rhinos in the following months to ensure a safe transition to their new environment.

Under African Parks’ management, Akagera has rebounded significantly, now home to all of Africa’s Big Five and nearly 12 000 animals. The park, open daily to visitors, has become a model for sustainable tourism and species restoration in the region.

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