Overview

• Seventy southern white rhinos were flown from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park in a two-stage translocation completed on June 10, 2025.
• The move is part of African Parks’ Rhino Rewild Initiative, which aims to rewild over 2,000 rhinos in well-managed protected areas across Africa.
• African Parks collaborated with the Rwanda Development Board and Munywana Conservancy to oversee veterinary-led transports covering over 3,400 kilometers by road and air.
• Funded by the Howard G. Buffet Foundation, this shipment follows the 2021 transfer that increased Akagera’s rhino population from 30 to 41 animals.
• Conservation teams are monitoring the newcomers for adaptation to local vegetation and exposure to unfamiliar diseases as they expand regional meta-populations.