Dozens of white rhinos moved from South Africa to Rwanda | Wildlife News

Two batches of 35 rhinos, moved by truck and airline, as part of a great deal of recruitment efforts, including South Africa and Rwanda.

Seventy southern white rhinos have completed a journey of over 3400 kilometers (at least 2.112 miles) from a truck and Boeing 747 from South Africa to Rwanda in what is described as the largest translocation of its kind.

Part of the recontifruction initiative, the rhinos were transported in two groups of 35 – first from Airline, then on the road – from the conservation of Munauana in South Africa to the Akagira National Park in Rwanda, the largest protected wet area in Central Africa announced.

“The last phase of 3,400 km the trip included the rhino, which is transported by trucks in separate steel crates from the munition to King Shaka International Airport in Durban,” RDB said.

“They were then carefully loaded with cranes in Boeing 747, flew to Kigali International Airport and were finally transported to Akagira National Park on the road,” the statement said.

The Development Council said the aim is to ultimately redirect more than 2000 rhino “to safe, well -controlled protected areas of the entire continent.”

📹 70 southern white rhinos have found a new home in @Akagerapark! 🦏

In partnership with @AfricanparksRwanda restores the park's ecosystem and protects rhino populations for future generations. 🌿#Visitrwanda🇷🇼 pic.twitter.com/cwbgp45vu1

– Visit Rwanda (@visitrwanda_Now) June 10, 2025

The rhinos were released to Rwanda Park after their two -day trip and a veterinary team will monitor its progress to “manage any stress associated with the course and to ensure that each rhino adapts well to its new environment.”

Described as “the first move of a rhino on the air of this scale,” the recontifruction initiative aims to support the growth of the population for white rhino and “provided a new breeding fortress in Rwanda.”

White rhinos were once abundant in Africa south of the Sahara, but their number had fallen dramatically due to large -scale poaching and hunting during the colonial times.

According to the International Foundation Rhino (IRF), Rhino poaching in Africa increased by 4 percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhino defects in 2023.

The southern white rhino, one of the two subspecies, is now referred to as “almost endangered”, with approximately 17,000 persons remaining, according to the International Union for Nature Protection (IUCN).

The northern white rhino is considered critically endangered, with the number of other mature adults listed by IUCN as two most.

70 southern white rhino ended a 3400 km trip from South Africa to Akagra National Park in Rwanda. The translocation was complex and was completed in two phases, each of which included 35 rhino, located three days apart. Pic.twitter.com/dv3FLFPL03

– Akagera National Park (@akarapark) June 10, 2025