The Rwandan Development Board (RDB), African Parks and the Government of the Netherlands are expected today to finalise a conservation deal that will see the reintroduction of black rhinos in Rwanda. African Parks is a South Africa-based non-profit organisation that takes total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities.
The Rwandan Development Board (RDB), African Parks and the Government of the Netherlands are expected today to finalise a conservation deal that will see the reintroduction of black rhinos in Rwanda.
African Parks is a South Africa-based non-profit organisation that takes total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities.
Akagera National Park, where the rhinos are expected to be brought, is one of the parks managed by African Parks.
According to a source from the Rwandan embassy at The Hague, the project was presented Thursday morning on World Wildlife Day at the Save Wildlife Conference that is underway in the Netherlands.
"The development represents a very prestigious and positive initiative to bring an endangered species back into a safe environment in Rwanda,” said the source, adding that these efforts will ensure the restoration of the Akagera National Park as a ‘Big Five’ park and will boost tourism in Rwanda.
The meeting underway is expected to come up with the details of each party’s contribution and when the rare species will be brought into the savannah park located in the Eastern Province.
The news of the reintroduction of rhinos follows the restocking of lions at the park last year, when seven lions were brought in from South Africa.