African Parks, which has bought the world’s largest southern white rhino breeding programme, aims to release the animals into the wild over the next 10 years, the non-profit conservation organisation said on Monday.
At the end of April, conservationist John Hume had put his breeding farm in South Africa, ‘Platinum Rhino,’ up for auction as he was in financial difficulties. However, there were no bids, which put the rhino herd at serious risk of poaching and fragmentation, African Parks said.
Platinum Rhino has more than 2,000 of the endangered animals. According to African Parks, that accounts for 15% of the population remaining in the wild worldwide.
In a press release, Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, said the organisation did not intend to own a captive rhino-breeding programme. He explained that African Parks would seek a solution for the animals so that they can regain their integral role in fully functioning ecosystems.
Once all the animals are released into the wild, the Platinum Rhino project will be discontinued, the CEO said.
The organisation added that it would work with governments, funding partners and conservation partners to release the animals into the wild in various protected areas in Africa.
