Seventy white rhinos relocated from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park

Translocated rhino rewild, Akagera Park Rwanda 

Seventy southern white rhinos from South Africa’s Munywana Conservancy have been relocated to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. The move was part of a ten-year plan to rewild rhinos to safe, suitable, and well-managed protected areas of Africa. The rhinos represent around 15 percent of the world’s total population of white rhinos.

According to Al Jazeera, the journey, spanning over 3,400 km and involving both road and air transport, marks one of the largest cross-continental rhino translocations to date. Akagera, restored and co-managed by the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks since 2010, has become a hub for reintroduced species, from lions and black rhinos to white rhinos, benefiting from anti-poaching and community engagement measures. 

While celebrated as a major rewilding milestone, experts say that such translocations demand meticulous planning. The IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group’s Dave Balfour has warned that beyond poaching avoidance, there are habitat suitability, disease risks, and adaptation challenges.

Looking ahead, Rwanda’s 2021 introduction of 30 rhinos has already shown population growth, cementing confidence that the new arrivals can thrive and potentially serve as a source for future east and central African expansions.