The reintroduction of white rhinos to Garamba National Park in the DRC is an initiative taken about 13 years ago by Mark Bristow, the CEO of Barrick Gold Corporation. This week, sixteen rhinos were reintroduced to the park, a place where this species has not been seen since 2006.
Barrick Gold Corporation was the lead funder in its partnership with African Parks and Garamba National Park. Barrick’s donation of more than $2.5 million has provided tracking collars, fuel for spotting planes, and rescue and rehabilitation programs. In addition, this money was used to improve essential infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
The rhinos come from the &Beyond Phinda private reserve in South Africa and were translocated in collaboration with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, the Congolese government and African Parks.
Garamba was one of the last strongholds of the now extinct northern white rhino. The initiative to reintroduce the near-threatened southern subspecies not only promotes the long-term conservation of the rhino in Africa but also creates another breeding node for the species in a safe environment.
The introduction of white rhinos has led to a significant decrease in poaching and an increase in the population of most wildlife species in Garamba Park. Since African Parks took over the management of the park in 2005, there has been a significant improvement in the essential biodiversity in this area through their development of socio-economic initiatives and their collaboration with Barrick Gold Corporation.
Barrick Gold Corporation values the protection of areas of high conservation value, as well as the preservation and maintenance of biodiversity in the most precious places in the world.
The reintroduction of white rhinos from Garamba also supports local communities. The park employs more than 500 full-time employees and hundreds of other contract employees, as well as dedicated public order teams and community staff. The park also supports beekeeping, fish farming, and poultry businesses with more than 9,000 community members as well as four hospitals with a capacity of about 12,000 patients.
In summary, the reintroduction of white rhinos to Garamba National Park in the DRC is a long-term initiative to protect and restore essential biodiversity in this region thanks to the professional and financial support of Barrick Gold Corporation, African Parks, and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature