30 white rhinos fly 2,000 miles in largest rhino resettlement mission ever

The largest single rhino swap ever took place in Rwanda, as conservationists flew 30 white rhinos 2,000 miles from South Africa to their new home in Akagera National Park on a Boeing 747.

Based on NPR, animal rights advocates hope the animals will be able to breed in new environments where they will be safe from poachers.

Peter Fearnhead, CEO of the conservation nonprofit, said: “Introduction to safe, intact wildlife landscapes is critical to the future of vulnerable species like pangolins. The white rhinoceros species is under significant human-induced stress,” said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of the conservation nonprofit. Africa Park.

The whole trip took about 40 hours, a challenge considering the cargo was 30 rhinos weighing 2 tons.

Peter Fearnhead, CEO of Africa Parks, said: “We have to reassure them to reduce stress, which in itself puts them at risk and monitoring. Aljazeera.

The rhinos are fitted with tracking transmitters so they can be monitored as they roam the Akagera National Park.

“This is an opportunity for Rwanda to significantly increase its contribution to rhino conservation, with Akagera poised to become an important reserve in the world,” said Ariella Kageruka, Tourism Director of the Rwanda Development Board. global for the black rhino and now the white rhino”.

The rhinos were airlifted from the andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, which has previously managed and developed rhino populations for more than 30 years. The mission was carried out by Africa Parks, the Development Board of Rwanda and andBeyond and was funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

As Aljazeera reports, the world’s rhino populations have been devastated by poachers since the 1970s as hunters scrambled for their valuable horns. Based on Wild life world, the species was thought to be extinct in the late 90s, but a small population of about 100 rhinos have survived, classifying them as “near threatened”.

With only about 18,000 white rhinos in existence, the animal is currently classified as “vulnerable” by World Wildlife Fund.