Press release from the www.africanparks.org

2000 Southern White Rhino to be Released into the Wild Over Next 10 Years

African Parks has purchased the world’s largest captive rhino breeding operation in a bid to rescue and rewild the rhino to safe and well-managed protected areas across Africa.

Johannesburg, South Africa, 04 September 2023 African Parks, a conservation NGO that manages 22 protected areas in partnership with 12 governments across Africa, announced that it will rewild over 2,000 southern white rhino over the next 10 years. African Parks has stepped in as the new owner of the world’s largest private captive rhino breeding operation, “Platinum Rhino”, a 7,800-hectare property in the North West province of South Africa, which currently holds 2,000 southern white rhino, representing up to 15% of the world’s remaining wild population.

As a result of financial stress, Platinum Rhino was put up for auction on the 26th of April 2023, but did not receive any bids, putting these rhinos at serious risk of poaching and fragmentation. Given African Parks’ experience in effectively managing protected areas and carrying out wildlife translocations at scale, including bringing rhino back to Rwanda, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, African Parks was approached by numerous concerned individuals from the conservation sector to provide a solution to prevent a potential conservation crisis, and to help secure the future for a species in decline.

After conducting a thorough due diligence and with the support of the South African Government, as well as having secured emergency funding to make the transaction possible, African Parks agreed to purchase the farm and all 2,000 rhino. African Parks has one clear objective: to rewild these rhino over the next 10 years to well-managed and secure areas, establishing or supplementing strategic populations, thereby de-risking the future of the species. The breeding programme will be phased out and the project will end once all the rhino are released into the wild. This is one of the largest continent-wide rewilding endeavours to occur for any species.

“African Parks had no intention of being the owner of a captive rhino breeding operation with 2,000 rhino. However, we fully recognise the moral imperative of finding a solution for these animals so that they can once again play their integral role in fully functioning ecosystems,” said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks. “The scale of this undertaking is simply enormous, and therefore daunting. However, it is equally one of the most exciting and globally strategic conservation opportunities. We will be working with multiple governments, funding partners and conservation organisations, who are committed to making this rewilding vision a reality.”

For over 20 years, African Parks has worked with governments and local communities to ensure that protected areas, and their vital ecosystem services, are secured for the future. “On behalf of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, I would like to congratulate African Parks and Mr. Hume for reaching this important agreement which facilitates a conservation solution for the rhino currently in a captive facility,” said Ms. Barbara Creecy, the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

“Our Government is guided in our approach to conservation by the UN Convention on Biodiversity and our own white paper. In this regard we are ready to support African Parks and other partners with technical and scientific advice in developing a conservation solution that includes translocating the animals over a period of time to suitable parks and community conservancies in South Africa and on the African continent.”

The white rhino as a species is under extreme pressure, especially in South Africa, because of poaching. Rhino historically consisted of two subspecies: the southern white and the northern white. The northern white is functionally extinct, with just two non-breeding females in captivity in Kenya. Southern white rhino reached an all-time low of 30 to 40 animals in the 1930’s, but through effective conservation measures, increased to approximately 20,000 individuals by 2012. However, with the dramatic rise in poaching for their horns for the illegal wildlife trade, their numbers have fallen to below 13,000 today.

“The conservation sector is delighted that African Parks can provide a credible solution for this important population, and a significant lifeline for this Near Threatened species,” said Dr. Mike Knight, Chairman of the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group. “This acquisition provides the unique opportunity to re-wild these 2,000 white rhino for the benefit of people and rhino conservation in Africa.”

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How convenient they have forgotten to mention how much private farms had to do to increase these numbers!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
How convenient they have forgotten to mention how much private farms had to do to increase these numbers!

True, but it (between the lines) highlights that private farms just like this risk financial insolvency due to the inability to return enough revenue against expense to keep operating.

Looking at hunt prices for RSA white rhino, it's no wonder farms are failing. The price appears to have fallen 25-50% over the past few years. Coupled with the inability to have any degree of trade in rhino horn (whether dehorned or hunted) it's putting the final turns in the noose.

and non of the tree hugger/greenie organizations were interested at all as farming offers a solution. Those at the tops of these organizations would be losing their income because of this....

quote:

Originally posted by holzer375:
and non of the tree hugger/greenie organizations were interested at all as farming offers a solution. Those at the tops of these organizations would be losing their income because of this....

Exactly !!!

https://allafrica.com/stories/202309060003.html


South Africa - World's Largest Rhino Farm Bought By NGO



5 SEPTEMBER 2023
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)

Conservation activists hope to return 2,000 white rhinos to the wild in the coming decade after purchasing the "Platinum Rhino" breeding operation.

The world's largest captive rhino breeding farm, situated in South Africa, has been purchased by a conservation NGO.

African Parks said in a statement on Monday that it would take over the 7,800 hectare (19,274 acres) "Platinum Rhino" farm. They said their goal was to rescue the critically endangered species and release the animals into the wild by transporting them to safe and well-managed protected areas across Africa.

Why was the farm sold?

The Platinum Rhino site which was being run by 81-year-old South African conservationist John Hume, was put up for auction due to financial stress in April of this year. The offer did not receive much interest.


Hume told the AFP news agency that over the years he had spent around $150 million (€139.5 million) on his project to save one of the world's largest mammals from extinction.

Security and surveillance were the biggest cost considerations, according to the businessman.

"I've used all my life savings spending on that population of rhinos for 30 years. And I finally ran out of money," Hume told the AFP in April.

African Parks said it was approached by "numerous concerned individuals from the conservation sector" to help find a way of averting a possible "conservation crisis."

"African Parks had no intention of being the owner of a captive rhino breeding operation with 2,000 rhino. However, we fully recognize the moral imperative of finding a solution for these animals so that they can once again play their integral role in fully functioning ecosystems," said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks.


Fearnhead described the scale of the undertaking as "simply enormous, and therefore daunting," but added that "it is equally one of the most exciting and globally strategic conservation opportunities."

NGO says it is up to the task

According to African Parks, the organization has experience in effectively managing protected areas and has carried out wildlife translocations "at scale."

This has included bringing rhino back to Rwanda, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The NGO manages 22 protected areas across the African continent and now plans on phasing out the breeding program and returning the 2,000 southern white rhino to the wild over the next 10 years.

"We will be working with multiple governments, funding partners and conservation organisations, who are committed to making this rewilding vision a reality," Fearnhead said.

South Africa's poaching crisis

South Africa is home to around 80% of the world's rhinos and has been in the grip of a poaching crisis.

Each year poachers slaughter hundreds of rhino just for their horns, which are highly sought after on black markets in Asia. The price of rhino horn comes at an estimated $60,000 (€55,628) per kilogram, rivaling that of gold and cocaine and is used in traditional medicine and aphrodisiacs.

The horn itself consists mainly of hard keratin, the same substance found in human finger nails.

Last week the South African government said that it recorded a slight decline in the number of rhinos killed for their horns in the first half of 2023.

Poachers killed 231 rhinos in the first six months of the year compared to 259 in the same period last year, according to South African officials, representing an 11% decrease nationwide.

(AFP, DW sources)

I wonder where. Which park/reserve/authority which doesn't already have rhinos wants rhinos? They bring considerable extra security risks, and thus costs. AP itself doesn't have many parks in their portfolio which fall within the range of (southern) white rhinos, and certainly not enough in safe areas to house 2000 of them.

My prediction is once the last of the 2000 rhinos have been moved and all the NGOs got their photos taken and piece of the pie...it will take about 3 to 5 years for that 2000 rhino to be wiped out completely... keep in mind all these places and countries that will get these RHINO HAD RHINO!!!! Where are they now???? worst thing ever that could have happened to those rhino... talk to me in 5 years....

quote:

Originally posted by INTREPID SAFARIS:
My prediction is once the last of the 2000 rhinos have been moved and all the NGOs got their photos taken and piece of the pie...it will take about 3 to 5 years for that 2000 rhino to be wiped out completely... keep in mind all these places and countries that will get these RHINO HAD RHINO!!!! Where are they now???? worst thing ever that could have happened to those rhino... talk to me in 5 years....

Phillip, we will have to remember this quote. Becasue it is right on point.

quote:

Originally posted by INTREPID SAFARIS:
My prediction is once the last of the 2000 rhinos have been moved and all the NGOs got their photos taken and piece of the pie...it will take about 3 to 5 years for that 2000 rhino to be wiped out completely... keep in mind all these places and countries that will get these RHINO HAD RHINO!!!! Where are they now???? worst thing ever that could have happened to those rhino... talk to me in 5 years....

AP does manage some parks which could have white rhino, and might start managing more. They have long-term commitments to those parks, and have a good track record in management of wildlife in those parks. If you hunt in Bangweulu in Zambia, you are hunting in an area managed by AP.

But rhinos in a park require much more stringent anti poaching efforts than other animals…….Very expensive. I hunted a game ranch in Namibia last week that had both white and black rhino. 24/7 armed rangers on the property patrolling on ATV’s. They’ve still had 7 rhinos poached in the last year.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
https://allafrica.com/stories/202309060003.html
Last week the South African government said that it recorded a slight decline in the number of rhinos killed for their horns in the first half of 2023.

Poachers killed 231 rhinos in the first six months of the year compared to 259 in the same period last year, according to South African officials, representing an 11% decrease nationwide.

(AFP, DW sources)

Do the math. 10 years max and they'll be gone.

Probably less than 10 years.

Governments are notorious for doing a poorer job of almost anything than the private sector can do.