In what may be one of the world’s most unusual recent migrations, a small herd of rare black rhinos has relocated from South Africa to a national park in Malawi.
Seventeen rhinos made the trip, with a little moving assistance from the World Wildlife Fund South Africa, Africa Parks and the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife. The move is part of Malawi’s aim to boost its black rhino population and lines up with regional efforts to save the critically endangered species.
The migrant rhinos were quarantined for six weeks before their move to Liwonde National Park, where they were released last week and are reported settling in well. Three will soon make another move, to Majete Wildlife Reserve, also in Malawi. There are estimated to be about 5,500 black rhinos in the wild; their numbers have been threatened both by poaching and by habitat losses.
Whilst it is correct that both poaching and habitat losses represent severe threats to the survival of rhinos, it is clearly poaching that constitutes the most acute risk. More than two (black/white) rhinos per day are poached in South Africa alone:https://www.savetherhino.org/a…outh-africa-in-2018/And all because of some idiotic belief in the healing properties of rhino horn …