2,000 white rhinos to be released in the wild

A South African non-governmental organization (NGO) called African Parks has stepped in to buy a rhino farm in South Africa and rewild the 2,000 white rhinos that live there. The farm, Platinum Rhino, was once the world's largest rhino farm, but it fell into financial difficulties and put the animals up for auction. There were no bids, so African Parks stepped in to buy the farm and the animals.

African Parks plans to rewild all 2,000 white rhinos over the next 10 years. The rhinos will be released into national parks across Africa. African Parks runs 22 national parks across 12 countries and has already successfully reintroduced rhinos to Rwanda, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The rewilding of these 2,000 white rhinos is a significant event for conservation. White rhinos were once hunted almost to extinction in the early 1900s, but their numbers grew to 20,000 in 2012 thanks to conservation efforts. However, their numbers have since fallen to below 13,000.

Globally, three of the five rhinoceros species remain critically endangered. The northern white rhino species is functionally extinct, with only two individuals remaining in captivity. However, scientists are using technology to save the northern white rhino by implanting embryos into surrogate mothers from southern white rhinos.