In the early summer of 2017, a founder population of eastern black rhino was translocated from South Africa to Akagera National Park in Rwanda in a cross-continent journey spanning over 4,000 km. Then, in 2019, five more black rhino made a historic journey from European zoos to bolster the population in Akagera.
The moves mark a historic return of this iconic and endangered species to Rwanda, and represent an urgent and valuable opportunity to expand the range and protection of an iconic species to the only protected area in Rwanda that is suitable for their reintroduction.
There are two types of African rhino – white and black rhino. The black rhino in turn is divided into three subspecies: southern black rhino (Diceros bicornis minor), south-western black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) and the eastern black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli). (A fourth subspecies, the western black rhino Diceros bicornis longipes was declared extinct in 2011.)
Once fairly common on the African continent, the brutal onslaught of poaching on rhino populations across Africa has resulted in the drastic decline of black rhino, from approximately 65,000 to less than 5,000 remaining in the wild at the end of the 20th century – a drop of some 96% of the population. About 1,000 of these are the eastern black rhino subspecies; once found across East Africa, today they can only be found in Kenya, Tanzania – and as of 2017, Rwanda.
Preparation and Planning to Move a Rhino
Akagera National Park, at 1,112 km2, is the largest protected wetland in Central Africa and the only protected savannah environment in Rwanda. Historically home to a diversity of large African mammals, many were hunted to local extinction over recent decades. Since 2010, African Parks has partnered with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to form the Akagera Management Company (AMC), which manages Akagera with a vision of restocking the park with species that have become locally extinct and securing their long-term protection.
The reintroduction of the eastern black rhino formed part of this vision. Over 50 eastern black rhinos once thrived in this park in the late 1970s, but due to years of wide-scale poaching, the last confirmed sighting of an eastern black rhino in Akagera was documented in 2007. As the park falls within the historical geographic range of the eastern black rhino, Akagera was selected for the reintroduction of a founder population of this subspecies. Effective park management, conservation law enforcement and community engagement are present too, all essential in conserving wild rhino populations across their range.
Prior to the move, Akagera National Park staff undertook years of research, planning and preparation and received training in rhino tracking and monitoring to ensure the best possible outcome for rhino in Rwanda. A canine anti-poaching unit and a team of highly trained, motivated, and well-equipped conservation law enforcement staff were established, and a helicopter deployed. These and other security measures were specifically implemented to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the species. With poaching dropping to an all-time low, numerous species rebounded in the park and it was time to bring back the rhino. Consultation with experts and specialist groups then took place to secure a genetically appropriate and available source of eastern black rhino for reintroduction.
The Journey
Over the course of February and March in 2017, a founder population of eastern black rhinos was carefully selected and captured in South Africa’s Thaba Tholo Game Ranch. These individuals were transported by truck and plane to Akagera in a cross-continent journey spanning over 4,000 km.
The cargo planes landed at Kigali airport, where the rhino were transferred in their independent crates by trucks in a police-supported convoy, to make the four-hour drive to Akagera National Park. The rhino were greeted with eagerness as local schoolchildren living near the park lined the streets to welcome and celebrate their arrival. The rhino were then released into individual bomas (a relatively small enclosure used to familiarise the animals with their new home), where they were monitored for one to two days before being released into the wider park.
Results
In September 2017, Akagera National Park confirmed the birth of a healthy rhino calf, the first to be born in the country since poachers wiped out the species in 2007.
The rhinos’ return and settling into the area was one of the final steps in restoring Akagera to its previous natural wonder for the country and its people. Their reintroduction also elevated the park’s international profile as a tourism destination, boosting the local economy, directly benefiting communities, establishing the park as a valued national asset, and helping to solidify Rwanda as a leader in African conservation.
The translocation reintroduced the species to the country following a ten-year absence. This was a testament not only to the potential of the park to sustain a rhino population, but also to the extremely high levels of protection measures and effective park management provided by African Parks and the Rwandan Government.
Another Historic Journey – the 2019 Move
In 2019, Akagera’s rhino population received a further boost as five black rhino arrived from European zoos, the largest-ever translocation of rhino from Europe to Africa.
In an unprecedented partnership among the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the Rwandan Government and African Parks, five black rhinoceros who were born and raised in zoo environments, were transported from Prague in the Czech Republic to Akagera National Park in Rwanda. Jasiri, Jasmina and Manny were born in Dvur Kralove (Czech Republic); Olmoti came from Flamingo Land (United Kingdom) and Mandela was from Ree Park Safari (Denmark). These five rhino, consisting of three females and two males ranging between two to nine years of age, were part of the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) and were donated to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which together with African Parks manages Akagera National Park.
This project was supported by:
Rwanda Development Board (2017 and 2019), Akagera Management Company (2017 and 2019), The Howard G. Buffett Foundation (2017), The Dutch Government (2017), People’s Postcode Lottery (2017), The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) (2019), and EAZA Ex Situ Programmes (2019)