Conservation group African Parks plans to release 2,000 southern white rhinos into the wild after buying the world’s largest private captive rhino breeding operation in South Africa.
According to Muthoni Muchiri of the BBC, the second-largest land mammals, are considered to be under extreme pressure. There are only about 18,000 southern white rhinos left. With only two surviving members of the other subspecies, the northern white rhino – both female and both in Kenya, it is thought that rhino horn poaching brought about their near extinction.
Most of the southern white rhinos are found in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
However, African Parks hopes to “rewild” the animals over the next 10 years. The group secured emergency funding to buy the financially struggling 7,800-hectare (19,000-acre) rhino farm, known as Platinum Rhino, in South Africa’s North West province, after conservationist and owner John Hume put it up for sale in April. He had advocated the trade in rhino horn to raise funds to sustain the farm.
Although, African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead said they previously had no intention of owning a captive rhino breeding operation, they “fully recognize the moral imperative of finding a solution for these animals, so that they can once again play their integral role in fully functioning ecosystems”.
With funds from partners, governments, and other conservation groups, the rhinos will be released into secure, well-managed areas to protect them from poaching.
The project will mark one of the largest continent-wide rewilding programs undertaken for any species.
