This is the third rhino translocation carried out this year by African Parks as part of its 10-year plan to rewild 2,000 southern white rhino into secure protected areas across Africa.
Johannesburg, South Africa, 6th November 2024. A group of southern white rhino have been successfully translocated to Dinokeng Game Reserve in north-eastern Gauteng Province in South Africa.
This relocation forms part of African Parks’ Rhino Rewild initiative, an ambitious plan to rewild 2,000 southern white rhino into secure protected areas across Africa over the next 10 years. The translocation was implemented as a joint initiative between African Parks, Dinokeng Game Reserve, WeWild Africa and the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa. To aid in the long-term success of this translocation, the rhino will be monitored and protected in accordance with Dinokeng’s intensive security measures.
Dinokeng Game Reserve, a 19,000-hectare conservation area within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a unique collaboration between 180 landowners, including the Gauteng Provincial Government. Originally an agricultural landscape, Dinokeng was established in 2011 with a shared vision: to create a sustainable ‘Big Five’ ecotourism destination that benefits both the environment and local communities. With over 800 permanent jobs generated and a successful track record of rewilding key species like the white rhino, Dinokeng is an ideal location for additional wildlife introductions.
White rhino are under extreme pressure due to poaching and habitat loss, and require well-protected natural landscapes to thrive. In the 1930s, southern white rhinos were on the brink of extinction, with only 30 to 40 individuals remaining. Thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, their population rebounded to approximately 21,000 by 2012. However, the surge in poaching over the past decade has reduced their numbers to around 17,500. White rhinos play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. As mega-herbivores, they shape savannah landscapes, which store approximately 30% of the world’s terrestrial carbon.
The main objective of Rhino Rewild is to contribute to the future of the species by moving all 2,000 rhinos from the breeding facility into well-managed, secured protected areas across Africa. This will establish or supplement strategic rhino populations, where their presence contributes to healthy ecosystems that benefit biodiversity.
Key funders of Rhino Rewild include the Rob Walton Foundation and the Pershing Square Foundation. WeWild Africa and the Aspinall Foundation provide ongoing support for translocations, with the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa funding this translocation to Dinokeng Game Reserve.
Quotes for media use:
Donovan Jooste, Project Manager, African Parks’ Rhino Rewild Initiative said “The success of Rhino Rewild is about collaboration and working with partners who share the vision of creating safe wild spaces and managing them effectively, in which wildlife, and in this case, rhino, can thrive. Dinokeng Game Reserve fits that profile where we know these rhino will be protected and can contribute to impactful conservation within South Africa that also benefits local communities.”
Hartogh Streicher, Dinokeng Management Association Chairperson said “We are extremely pleased to receive these rhino from African Parks, to supplement our current population of southern white rhino, enhancing this big five destination, and fulfilling our vision for this landscape. Our main focus is on restoring once-degraded lands through rehabilitation and conservation and ensuring that people and nature can grow together. We are proud to be part of African Parks’ continent-wide conservation strategy to restore and protect a species as iconic as the rhino.”
Dereck Milburn, Director of WeWild Africa said “To see another successful translocation come to fruition is a thrilling next chapter in our ongoing partnership with African Parks. We are committed to seeing southern white rhino populations established across Africa to secure the future of this iconic animal.”
Taryn Gillson, Global Humane Regional Director – Africa said “We are delighted to support Dinokeng Game Reserve and play a role in this historic rewilding initiative. African Parks’ Rhino Rewild initiative is closely aligned with our stated goal of conserving, rewilding, and safeguarding Africa’s diverse ecosystems and wildlife. This relocation will aid in enhancing genetic diversity in Dinokeng and we look forward to seeing these rhino thrive in their new habitat.”
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About African Parks
African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 22 protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For more information visit www.africanparks.org, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
About Dinokeng Game Reserve
The Dinokeng Game Reserve is a premier South African wildlife reserve and the only Big Five reserve in a metropolitan area worldwide. We offer local and international travellers once-in-a-lifetime experiences and memorable moments for reconnecting with nature and loved ones, whilst showcasing the Dinokeng community to the world. For more information, visit Dinokeng Game Reserve – Gauteng’s Only Big 5 Game Reserve (dinokengreserve.co.za) and Dinokeng Game Reserve Magazine Archive
About Rhino Rewild
Rhino Rewild, an African Parks initiative, is a 10-year plan to rewild 2,000 southern white rhino and renew the habitats they require. In September 2023, African Parks purchased the world’s largest rhino captive breeding operation in South Africa, in a bid to rescue the rhino, which amount to approximately 12% of the world’s population, and to rewild them to safe and well-managed protected areas across Africa as part of a strategic, continent-wide conservation strategy. For more information visit www.rhinorewild.org
About WeWild Africa
WeWild Africa was founded in 2019 by veteran conservation experts with 100+ years collective experience in wildlife conservation in Africa. We have worked in some of the most challenging places and situations in the world, with a never-give-up mindset. Through partnerships with key stakeholders and committed organisations and reserves, WeWild Africa is able to make decisions quickly and provide seemingly impossible solutions. Since 2019, the organisation has directly impacted over 900 animals through rescue or rewilding. For more information visit: www.wewildafrica.com.
About the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa
The Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa (GH-CFA), an initiative under Global Humane, is deeply committed to the preservation and protection of Africa’s wildlife and wilderness areas. As the international brand of American Humane, the oldest national animal welfare organization in the United States, Global Humane’s mission resonates with a legacy of nearly 150 years of pioneering efforts. Based in South Africa, GH-CFA focuses on conserving, rewilding, and safeguarding Africa’s diverse ecosystems and wildlife. Through our strategic initiatives – Space for Species, Wildlife & Biodiversity, and Conservation for Communities – we strive to create safe habitats, enhance genetic diversity, and promote the interconnectedness of all species. For more information, please visit www.GlobalHumane.africa, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our channel on YouTube for the latest breaking news and features about the animals with whom we share our Earth.
Media Contacts:
African Parks
Helen Hancock: +27 71 149 8830
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WE Communications
Carly Simon: +27 82 508 2209
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