Zimbabwe Donates 10 White Rhino to Democratic Republic of Congo
- Plan reclaims native range of species wiped out by poachers
- Zimbabwe population now exceeds carrying capacity of land
Southern white rhinos
Photographer: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire via AP PhotoThis article is for subscribers only.
Zimbabwe will donate 10 southern white rhino to the Democratic Republic of Congo in an effort to restore the animals’ ancient range.
The rhino will be moved from areas in Zimbabwe where the population now exceeds the carrying capacity of the land needed for their survival, the Parks and Wildlife Authority said in an emailed statement Saturday. The southern white rhino population is “near threatened” but no longer endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s website. Poaching led to the extinction of the species in the DRC.