How rehoming wildlife from rhinos to bison can revive threatened species

They can be challenging, expensive and dangerous, but 2022 was a busy year for translocations and more are planned in the months ahead

“The birth of white rhino calves is extremely exciting news,” says Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks. It is the news the conservation organisation hoped for after it completed the largest ever single translocation of white rhino in November 2021. Thirty white rhinos were transported 2,100 miles from Phinda private game reserve in South Africa to Akagera national park in eastern Rwanda in a 40-hour journey completed by truck and Boeing 747.

Classified as “near threatened” by the IUCN, numbers of white rhino are declining across Africa, mainly because of poaching. The recent arrival of numerous babies in Akagera suggests the mission to create a new rhino haven is on track. “Translocation can be stressful for animals,” says Fearnhead. “Once babies start being born, it’s a sign the animals have settled well and are starting the process of building up numbers.”