Forty white rhinos, who lived until recently on a private property, have been returned to the wild in South Africa, reported AFP, quoted by BTA.< /strong>
In September of last year, the South African John Hume sold his private park, where he raised rhinos to protect them from poachers, to the non-governmental organization “African Parks” (African Parks). Hume is a wealthy eighty-year-old businessman who has devoted about fifteen years and millions of dollars to saving animals from poaching.
„African Parks“ became the owner of about 7,800 hectares of land and 2,000 white rhinos, which is 15% of the world population of these animals. The organization is linked to Britain's Prince Harry and manages about twenty protected parks on the continent.
„The ambitious plan is to return 2,000 white rhinos to protected areas on the continent and will be implemented over the next ten years,” said in a statement from the non-governmental organization, quoted by AFP. “The first step is the donation of 40 white rhinos to Munywana Game Reserve in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.“
The South African government supports the project.
South Africa is home to almost 80% of the world's white rhino population, which is currently estimated at less than 13,000. The country has become a hotbed of poaching. It is driven by demand from Asia, where the animal's horns are used in traditional medicine for their purported therapeutic effects.
According to government data, 448 rhinos were killed in the country in 2022.