32 Black Rhinos Will Fly to Tanzania

A $7 million conservation project will return 20 male and 12 female black rhinos to Tanzania over the next two years. Tanzania reportedly only has 70 rhinos left. The rhino conservation project also aims to improve and protect their habitats in Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Maasai Mara National Parks. Serengeti National Park covers 5,700 square miles and is home to 200,000 zebra, but very few rhinos remain due to poaching. So far five of the black rhinos have been flown to Tanzania with batches of six at a time to come soon. The rhinos returning to Tanzania were in South Africa because they were in so much danger in their homeland from poaching during the 1960s, some of them were moved to a safer location. Flying a rhino is no easy feat, as each one can weigh 2,000 pounds.

An official for the Minister of Tourism and Natural resources Shamsha Mwangunga, remarked that the rhinos will be safe from poachers due to extra safety measures. Their current program has caught 43 poachers so far. In addition, a special unit of 23 rangers has been assembled to protect the relocated rhinos.

The Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund is one of the partners in the rhino relocation project. In the 1960s the black rhino population there was diminished perilously to only 42. The new relocation project may be the largest ever.

The first phase of the project was to tackle the poaching problem. There would be no point of reintroducing the animals merely for them to be killed by poachers. Now that poaching has been decreased, the extremely rare animals can be kept in private areas and closely monitored. The Grumeti Fund has been involved with increasing the populations of Thomson’s gazelles, elands, and buffalo in the region. Hopefully their knowledge of stewardship gained with those victories can be applied equally successfully to the rhinos.

Read more: Nature & Wildlife, Pets, Wildlife, Africa, black rhinos, rhinos, tanzania

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Charles Y.

12:28AM PST on Feb 29, 2012

Great thanks.

send a green star

Nyack C.

12:38AM PST on Jan 15, 2012

This is good news. At least they are trying to do something. Doing nothing is guarenteeing extinction.

Michele W.

1:17PM PDT on Jul 2, 2011

Great news.
Thanks

Teri J.

4:42PM PDT on May 4, 2011

Yeah!! It's nice to hear some good news.
Make sure Sara Palin is not allowed near Tanzania.

Judith C.

10:20PM PDT on Apr 24, 2011

Good news

KS G.

4:11AM PST on Mar 3, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Past Member .

4:54PM PDT on Jul 28, 2010

like i said before thank god for these organizations helping bring back natures best such as these rare rhinos

Teresa W.

7:29AM PDT on Jul 24, 2010

good news

Beng Kiat L.

9:22PM PDT on Jul 4, 2010

Thanks

mari s.

2:15PM PDT on Jul 4, 2010

I applaud the people involved in saving these rhinos and allowing them to live their lives including the rest of the animals who are safe now. You do admirable and good work and i'm sure the work is far from easy. I'm thankful there are less and less poachers -- the day all poachers are abolished will undoubtedly be a great day indeed. Thank you all.