African Parks, in partnership with the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF), has completed a second major translocation of southern white rhino into GKEPF partner reserves. The operation moved 160 rhino, all dehorned and transported under veterinary supervision, into grassland habitats within the GKEPF network.
The move follows the 2024 release of 120 rhino into the Greater Kruger and forms part of African Parks’ long-term Rhino Rewild Initiative, which aims to rewild 2 000 southern white rhino into protected areas across Africa over the next decade. The translocation was supported by the Rhino Recovery Fund with the Rob Walton Foundation and the Pershing Square Foundation providing founder funding for the broader initiative.
The GKEPF open system includes private, community-owned and provincial reserves in addition to the Kruger National Park. Despite ongoing pressures, private reserves have recorded declining poaching rates attributed to coordinated security and anti-poaching measures.
GKEPF interim Co-CEO Richard Napier said: “This second translocation of 160 rhino into the Greater Kruger private reserves builds on the success of the initial release of 120 rhinos in 2024 where they adapted, survived and integrated well. The benefits of rebuilding this critical population after more than a decade of poaching losses far outweigh the risks.”
