A conservation area in KwaZulu-Natal welcomed a new herd of Southern White Rhinos, as a part of the world’s largest rewilding project, African Parks’ Rhino Rewild Initiative. This ambitious initiative, aiming to rewild over 2,000 rhinos, is the most extensive rewilding effort ever undertaken.

The new home for the rhinos is a conservation area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, spanning over 20,000 acres with diverse ecosystems such as savannah, thornveld, and grassland. This reserve also harbours significant historical sites from the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer wars, enriching its ecological value with a deep layer of cultural heritage. This initiative specifically aims to supplement the reserve’s existing rhino population with new genetics. All rhinos were dehorned prior to their translocation to the reserve.

This move is particularly significant for WeWild Africa as it represents their third and final move for the year, underscoring their continuous partnership with African Parks. This collaboration is part of an ongoing effort to relocate rhinos following the acquisition of 2,000 Southern White Rhinos last year. This project also marks another successful collaboration between WeWild Africa and the Wildlife Emergency Fund.

“Our third rhino translocation project with African Parks is now complete, bringing a new herd of rhinos to their beautiful new home in KwaZulu-Natal. As we reach the year end of this long-term project, the critical need to secure new, safe habitats becomes even more pressing. How do we move 2,000 rhinos? We do it one rhino at a time, emphasizing that every individual matters—this is the ethos at the heart of our mission. We are grateful for the ongoing collaboration with partners like DCM Surfaces, Wildlife Emergency Fund, African Parks, and Conservation Solutions.”

• Dereck Milburn, Managing Director, WeWild Africa

“We are excited to have this conservation area as our partners on our Rhino Rewild Initiative. This is the exact outcome that we want. A well managed, well run, safe reserve that has great habitat to support these rhinos. We are confident that the rhinos will do extremely well here and we look forward to working with this reserve and other reserves where rhinos can live out their ecological potential and where they are secure to allow for optimal growth.”

• Don Jooste, Director, Rhino Rewild 

“We are proud to be receiving a number of white rhinos from African Parks in terms of their rhino rewilding program. White rhino are an iconic African species that have been under severe threat over the last decade due to the scourge of poaching. We are proud of our efforts in protecting our rhino and other wildlife populations. The rhino we are receiving will be dehorned like the rest of our population. We are sure they will enjoy making our beautiful and diverse game reserve their new home.”

• Chairman of Receiving Reserve

About WeWild Africa

WeWild Africa was founded in 2019 by veteran conservation experts with 100+ years collective experience in wildlife conservation in Africa. We have worked in some of the most challenging places and situations in the world, with a never-give-up mindset. Through partnerships with key stakeholders and committed organisations and reserves, WeWild Africa is able to make decisions quickly and provide seemingly impossible solutions. Since 2019, the organisation has directly impacted over 1000 animals through rescue or rewilding. WeWild Africa, in collaboration with DCM Surfaces and the Wildlife Emergency Fund, supports the third Rhino Rewild operation this year with this translocation to KwaZulu-Natal. For more information visit: www.wewildafrica.com, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Youtube. 

About The Wildlife Emergency Fund

The Wildlife Emergency Fund (WEF) is dedicated to providing an Emergency Response Service for at-risk wildlife across South Africa and ultimately the entire continent. By channeling public funds directly to urgent wildlife emergencies and maintaining a robust “War Chest,” we ensure immediate, unimpeded assistance. Our extensive network of industry-expert agents allows us to deliver the highest standard of emergency care, speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. WEF operates under the conviction that conservation is a public interest and responsibility, essential for sustaining wildlife during their most critical times.  For more information visit:  Instagram, and Facebook.

About African Parks 

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 22 protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For more information visit www.africanparks.org, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Rhino Rewild

Rhino Rewild, an African Parks initiative, is a 10-year plan to rescue and rewild 2,000 southern white rhino and renew the habitats they require. In September 2023, African Parks purchased the world’s largest rhino captive breeding operation in South Africa, in a bid to rescue the rhino, which amount to approximately 12% of the world’s population, and to rewild them to safe and well-managed protected areas across Africa as part of a strategic, continent-wide conservation strategy. For more information visit www.rhinorewild.org 

About DCM Surfaces

DCM Surfaces is a UK based company specializing in designing, supplying, and installing surfacing solutions for various applications, including sports facilities, playgrounds, landscaping,  and urban environments. Established in 1995 DCM Surfaces has built a reputation for delivering high-quality surfaces tailored to meet the needs of clients in both public and private sectors.

The business is a long-standing and proud supporter of wildlife conservation in Africa. We are a committed collaborator with WeWild Africa, focusing on wildlife emergency interventions across Southern Africa. We are dedicated to supporting WeWild Africa and African Parks in their ongoing Rhino Rewild initiative. For more information visit www.dcmsurfaces.com.

About Conservation Solutions 

Conservation Solutions specializes in large-scale wildlife capture, translocation, and restocking projects across Africa. With a proven track record of managing some of the continent’s largest and most complex wildlife relocations, their efforts often span international boundaries as part of broader continental conservation initiatives. Witnessing the loss of a species is heart-breaking, but there is nothing quite as hopeful as seeing its return. For more information visit www.conservationsolutions.co.za, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.