DR Congo national park welcomes the reintroduction of white rhinos.

Northern white rhinos, like this female shown in Kenya in 2018, have been decimated by poaching
The Endangered Northern White Rhinoceros

The Northern white rhinoceros is an incredibly rare and endangered subspecies of rhinoceros that has been decimated by poaching. Sadly, it’s last known surviving member in DR Congo’s Garamba National Park was poached in 2006. However, officials have announced that they have released sixteen Southern white rhinoceroses into the park over the weekend, reintroducing the subspecies into the region in an effort to bolster their dwindling population.

The Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) expressed excitement over the recent reintroduction in a statement, saying “The return of white rhinos to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a testament to our country’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.” The operation was sponsored by Canadian mining firm Barrick Gold and led by the ICCN and African Parks, a conservation NGO.

Established back in 1938, Garamba National Park is one of Africa’s oldest nature reserves; however, the ongoing warfare and instability throughout volatile Congo has taken a significant toll on the park’s wildlife populations. African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead admitted that past conservation efforts aimed at saving the Northern white rhinoceros in the park were “too little, too late”. He noted that the relocation of the Southern white rhinoceros subspecies to the park marks the start of a new initiative to revive the dwindling rhinoceros population in the region.

It is hoped that more Southern white rhinoceroses will be transferred to Garamba National Park in the future, ultimately helping to reestablish the Northern white rhinoceros and preserve the species for future generations.

© 2023 AFP

Citation: White rhinos reintroduced to DR Congo national park (2023, June 11) retrieved 11 June 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-06-white-rhinos-reintroduced-dr-congo.html

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