Conservation Group Saves Endangered Rhino Herd, Plans to Release Them into the Wild
A herd of 2,000 southern white rhinos in South Africa has found a new owner and a chance for survival. After being put up for auction in April with no bidders, the rhinos and the farm they inhabit have been purchased by the conservation group African Parks. The group plans to release the animals into the wild over the next decade.
The southern white rhinos are thought to be the largest single population of their kind. They were on the brink of an uncertain future when no bidders came forward during the auction. However, African Parks has now reached a deal to take over the herd and ensure their preservation.
Peter Fearnhead, co-founder and chief executive of African Parks, stated, “We felt we had a moral obligation to step in.” The farm, named Platinum Rhino, was created in 2009 by businessman John Hume, who aimed to help rhinos by increasing their numbers. The farm has been praised for maintaining genetic diversity in the herd, making it valuable for conservation efforts.
Southern white rhinos faced near extinction in the early 20th century due to excessive hunting. However, a concerted conservation effort in South Africa led to their recovery. All 16,800 southern white rhinos alive today are descendants of a group of fewer than 100 surviving animals discovered in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Approximately 80 percent of the surviving population is in South Africa, with 53 percent privately owned.
The successful purchase of Platinum Rhino comes after years of financial struggles for the farm. The increase in rhino poaching in 2015 significantly raised the costs of maintaining the farm and protecting the animals from illegal hunters. Mr. Hume was spending large amounts on security, reaching $175,000 a month by 2016. The failed auction in April highlighted the urgency of the conservation crisis.
After months of negotiations, African Parks finalized the agreement to buy the property, equipment, and animals. The purchase price, covered by anonymous donors, remains undisclosed. The approximately 100 workers at Platinum Rhino will continue as employees of African Parks.
African Parks aims to begin moving rhinos into the wild by the beginning of 2024. The challenge lies in finding protected areas large and secure enough to accommodate new breeding populations of rhinos. The plan involves moving the rhinos to various sites, managed by African Parks, governments, communities, or other conservation organizations.
Raising funds for the relocation process is an additional task for African Parks. Moving a single rhino within South Africa costs around $1,500 by land, $5,500 by land to neighboring nations, and $50,000 by air to African countries farther away. The captive animals will also need preparations before their release into the wild, but experts are optimistic about their transition due to their grazing habits and current group living conditions.
African Parks has successfully moved 30 rhinos from South Africa to Rwanda in 2021. All of them survived the transfer. To stay ahead of new births at the rhino farm, where the population grows by approximately 10 percent annually, the group will need to release 300 rhinos each year for the next ten years.
Jo Shaw, chief executive of Save the Rhino International, expressed excitement about the positive step towards resolving the complex challenges facing rhino conservation. She emphasized that long-term sustainability in the release areas would be a significant challenge for the future.
The purchase of Platinum Rhino by African Parks represents a crucial effort to protect and preserve an endangered species. With strategic planning and collaboration, there is hope for the survival and continued growth of the southern white rhino population in the wild.