Latest news with #AkageraNationalPark
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dozens of white rhinos relocated from South Africa to Rwanda
Seventy southern white rhinos have completed a journey of more than 3,400 kilometres (at least 2,112 miles) by truck and Boeing 747 from South Africa to Rwanda in what has been described as the largest translocation of its kind. Part of a rewilding initiative, the rhinos were transported in two groups of 35 – first by airliner then by road – from South Africa's Munywana Conservancy to the Akagera National Park in Rwanda, central Africa's largest protected wetland, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said on Tuesday. 'The final phase of the 3,400km journey involved the rhino being transported by truck in individual steel crates from Munywana to King Shaka International Airport in Durban,' the RDB said. 'They were then carefully loaded by cranes into a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali International Airport, and finally transported to Akagera National Park by road,' it said. The development board said the aim was to eventually rewild more than 2,000 rhinos 'to safe, well-managed protected areas across the continent'. The rhinos were released into the Rwandan park after their two-day journey and a veterinary team will monitor their progress in order to 'manage any stress associated with the move and to ensure each rhino adapts well to its new environment'. Described as 'the first rhino move by air of this scale', the rewilding initiative aims to support population growth for white rhinos and 'secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda'. White rhinos were once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa but their numbers have dramatically fallen due to large-scale poaching and hunting during colonial times. According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos poached in 2023. The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is now listed as 'near threatened', with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The northern white rhino is considered critically endangered, with the number of remaining mature adults listed by the IUCN as two at most.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dozens of white rhinos relocated from South Africa to Rwanda
Seventy southern white rhinos have completed a journey of more than 3,400 kilometres (at least 2,112 miles) by truck and Boeing 747 from South Africa to Rwanda in what has been described as the largest translocation of its kind. Part of a rewilding initiative, the rhinos were transported in two groups of 35 – first by airliner then by road – from South Africa's Munywana Conservancy to the Akagera National Park in Rwanda, central Africa's largest protected wetland, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said on Tuesday. 'The final phase of the 3,400km journey involved the rhino being transported by truck in individual steel crates from Munywana to King Shaka International Airport in Durban,' the RDB said. 'They were then carefully loaded by cranes into a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali International Airport, and finally transported to Akagera National Park by road,' it said. The development board said the aim was to eventually rewild more than 2,000 rhinos 'to safe, well-managed protected areas across the continent'. The rhinos were released into the Rwandan park after their two-day journey and a veterinary team will monitor their progress in order to 'manage any stress associated with the move and to ensure each rhino adapts well to its new environment'. Described as 'the first rhino move by air of this scale', the rewilding initiative aims to support population growth for white rhinos and 'secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda'. White rhinos were once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa but their numbers have dramatically fallen due to large-scale poaching and hunting during colonial times. According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos poached in 2023. The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is now listed as 'near threatened', with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The northern white rhino is considered critically endangered, with the number of remaining mature adults listed by the IUCN as two at most.


Al Jazeera
21 hours ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Dozens of white rhinos relocated from South Africa to Rwanda
Seventy southern white rhinos have completed a journey of more than 3,400 kilometres (at least 2,112 miles) by truck and Boeing 747 from South Africa to Rwanda in what has been described as the largest translocation of its kind. Part of a rewilding initiative, the rhinos were transported in two groups of 35 – first by airliner then by road – from South Africa's Munywana Conservancy to the Akagera National Park in Rwanda, central Africa's largest protected wetland, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said on Tuesday. 'The final phase of the 3,400km journey involved the rhino being transported by truck in individual steel crates from Munywana to King Shaka International Airport in Durban,' the RDB said. 'They were then carefully loaded by cranes into a Boeing 747, flown to Kigali International Airport, and finally transported to Akagera National Park by road,' it said. The development board said the aim was to eventually rewild more than 2,000 rhinos 'to safe, well-managed protected areas across the continent'.The rhinos were released into the Rwandan park after their two-day journey and a veterinary team will monitor their progress in order to 'manage any stress associated with the move and to ensure each rhino adapts well to its new environment'. Described as 'the first rhino move by air of this scale', the rewilding initiative aims to support population growth for white rhinos and 'secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda'. White rhinos were once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa but their numbers have dramatically fallen due to large-scale poaching and hunting during colonial times. According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by 4 percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos poached in 2023. The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is now listed as 'near threatened', with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The northern white rhino is considered critically endangered, with the number of remaining mature adults listed by the IUCN as two at most.


Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
70 South African White Rhinos Relocated to Rwanda
Rwanda said on Tuesday that 70 white rhinos had been successfully relocated to the Great Lakes nation after a two-day journey of some 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles) from South Africa. It was the largest ever relocation of rhinos, which can weigh up to two tons, Rwandan officials said. Once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa, rhino numbers have dramatically fallen due to hunting by European colonizers and large-scale poaching. The animals were transported in two loads of 35 -- first aboard a Boeing 747, then by road -- from South Africa's Munywana Conservancy to Akagera National Park in Rwanda, or about 3,000 kilometers as the crow flies, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). A "dedicated veterinary team will closely monitor their health and behavior for several weeks to ensure proper adaptation to their new environment and management of any stress associated with the move", it said in a statement. The move was part of African Parks' Rhino Rewild Initiative, supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and aims to support population growth and secure a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda. According to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), rhino poaching in Africa rose by four percent from 2022 to 2023, with at least 586 rhinos poached in 2023. The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies, is now listed as "near threatened", with roughly 17,000 individuals remaining, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The northern white rhino has all but vanished, with only two females left alive.

Travel Weekly
24-05-2025
- Travel Weekly
Wilderness plans a luxury safari camp in Rwanda national park
Wilderness plans to open an eight-bed luxury safari camp on the private Magashi Peninsula in Akagera National Park in Rwanda in September. The new Wilderness Magashi Peninsula will consist of a four-bed villa and two separate twin rooms strategically positioned 200 meters apart, all overlooking Lake Rwanyakazinga and the Mutumba Mountains. • Related: Women are connecting with solo travel in Africa All accommodations are raised off the ground to maximize views of resident wildlife, including hippos and crocodiles in the lake and buffalo and elephants moving freely across the peninsula. The camp welcomes children as young as age 6, though families with children between 6 to 12 years old must book private vehicle use. Luxe accommmodations The villa consists of two twin en-suite rooms connected by a communal living space with lounge, dining area and kitchen. It also includes an additional adaptable en-suite room that can serve as a gym, children's room or office, accommodating up to six guests. Villa guests will enjoy a fully private experience with dedicated in-villa dining and exclusive guide services. The camp's location within a private concession in Akagera National Park provides access to 10 diverse habitat types ranging from open plains and woodlands to swamps and lakes, home to lions, rhinos, elephants and other African wildlife. Wilderness Magashi Peninsula will offer several signature experiences for guests, including private water-based excursions aboard a pontoon or swamp cruiser, catch-and-release fishing, guided night drives and rooftop Star Beds for overnight stargazing. The new lodge complements Wilderness Rwanda's recently opened Bisate Reserve near Volcanoes National Park, creating opportunities for travelers to combine gorilla trekking with traditional safari experiences in a single Rwanda itinerary.