Barrick Gold is facilitating the return of white rhinos to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of its biodiversity conservation efforts
The recent return of sixteen white white rhinos to Garamba National Park, Haut-Uelé Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was made possible through the initiative of Kibali Goldmines SA, a joint venture owned by Barrick, AngloGold Ashanti and Société Minière de Kilo-Moto (SOKIMO). The gold mine operated by Barrick is located approximately 220 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Haut Uele and 1,800 kilometers from the Kenyan border.
This return marks an important step in biodiversity conservation efforts in the DRC, where Garamba Park is becoming a sanctuary for megaherbivores. The white rhino reintroduction effort in the DRC is a project that involves local communities as well as stakeholders, and will help improve their future. The communities of the chiefdoms of Wando, Logo-Ogambi and Missa as well as the Kibali sector, whose territories cover the Garamba complex, as well as the entire province of Haut-Uele are concerned by this project. This reintroduction is also beneficial nationally and internationally, as it represents a major contribution of the DRC to nature conservation.
This project is the result of an effective partnership between the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), the Garamba National Park, African Parks, Barrick Gold Corporation and the Beyond private reserve. The sixteen southern white rhinos that have been reintroduced into the park represent the first batch of a workforce of around sixty planned for the project. The other batches will come in the years to come, following the acclimatization of the sixteen individuals of the first batch.
The reintroduction of white rhinos is an excellent sign for the DRC, as it creates local attractiveness and generates activities and benefits for communities. Preliminary work has been carried out to guarantee the safety of these animals, as well as their adaptation and reproduction. The governor of the province of Haut-Uélé, Christophe Baseane Nangaa, personally attended the arrival of the rhinos and reaffirmed the will of the provincial authority to concretize its five-year program of actions inspired by the Congolese Government led by Félix- Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. He also called on the central and provincial government to work on infrastructure to make this action profitable.
Barrick Gold Corporation has thus demonstrated its commitment to biodiversity conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, by facilitating the return of white rhinos to Garamba National Park.. In addition to its involvement in mining, the company is also involved in environmental and social projects, working with local communities to help them improve their quality of life.