The Return of the Rhino

The rare black rhino is being returned to the nation of Chad. The last wild rhino was seen in this central African country in the 1970's after decades of poaching drove them to local extinction. In a historic move to aid in the long-term survival of this endangered and heavily threatened species, up to six black rhinos are being reintroduced from South Africa to Chad in May of 2018 bringing this animal back to the country for the first time in over four decades. The translocation is an extraordinary cross-collaboration between the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Chad, as well as African Parks and South African National Park (SANParks). This is a hopeful story about the revival of a highly threatened species, as well as the trajectory of Zakouma - a park that was once ravaged by poaching and insecurity but has been transformed into a secure and flourishing park since 2010. This international conservation initiative is unprecedented and will see these black rhinos being flown over 3,000 miles to the well-protected Zakouma National Park, managed by African Parks since 2010 in partnership with the Government of Chad.