In a significant moment for conservation, Mozambique's Zinave National Park has become home to 10 critically endangered black rhinos that were transported over a rugged 48-hour journey from South Africa. This is the first founder population since they became locally extinct in the region over 50 years ago.
Mozambique has been working toward rebuilding founder white and black rhino populations as part of a national conservation initiative to reintroduce rhinos in the country. Many groups came together to make this effort happen, including South Africa's conservation entity (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), Mozambique's National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), and the Peace Parks Foundation. The UK People's Postcode Lottery also helped to fund the mission.
"This is a significant conservation success," Dr. Dion George, the South African minister of forestry, fisheries, and the environment, said in a release. "Establishing new founder populations is one of many critical interventions to secure the future of these species."
To protect endangered species is to protect our own future, because when we lose a creature like the black rhino, we lose part of the web that sustains even humans. Protecting endangered species preserves biodiversity, which is fundamental for healthy ecosystems and the fight against climate change.
"Supporting the rewilding of critically endangered species like the black rhino is at the heart of what we believe in — creating lasting impact for people and planet," Clara Govier, managing director of UK People's Postcode Lottery, said in the release.
According to the International Rhino Foundation, the black rhino population has seen a significant decline because of extensive hunting by European colonists and poaching. With the addition of these five males and five females, there are now 37 black rhinos in the park. ANAC and Peace Parks began translocating rhinos in 2021, and since then, the new herd has already given birth to seven calves.
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This historic translocation of the rhinos shows what's possible when people come together for wildlife and community alike, a reminder that saving endangered species really benefits us, too.
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