Africa NGO Purchases World’s Largest Captive Rhino Population to Rewild Them Across the Continent

[Michie]

A giant conservation NGO has purchased the largest privately-owned rhino herd on earth to rewild them in secret locations over the next 10 years.

More than 2,000 white rhinos had been bred in captivity as part of a project called Platinum Rhino, to flood the East Asian rhino horn trade with sustainably harvested horns in order to drastically lower the price, and thus disincentivize poachers.

However the breeder, John Hume of South Africa, ran out of money after the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) remained adamant that they would not grant him an exception for the sale of rhino horn—banned as it has been since 1974, and so Hume put all the animals up for auction in April.

On August 4th, Africa’s biggest wildlife NGO, African Parks, announced it had purchased the entire Platinum herd for the purpose of rewilding them across sites in southern Africa.

The organization managed to secure significant emergency funding that not only allowed them to buy all the rhinos, but also pay for an international, intra-Africa relocation of the animals.

Continued below.

Africa NGO Purchases World's Largest Captive Rhino Population to Rewild Them Across the Continent

African Parks manages 22 protected areas across 12 countries, making them the ultimate organization for this mammoth undertaking.

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[PsaltiChrysostom]

30 years ago, I worked with an industrial coatings company that also kicked around the idea of epoxy rhino horns. Rhino conservation officials would saw off the real horns and replace them with these brightly colored fakes, thus discouraging poachers. I dont think it ever got off the ground other than a couple trials.