80 African rhinos coming to Australia

Australian zoos will take 80 African rhinos over the next four years to help save the endangered species from poaching.

About 80 African rhinos will be brought to Australia over the next four years to help save the endangered species from poaching.

The first group of southern white rhinos are expected to be flown over this year and quarantined at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in NSW before going to zoos across the country, according to The Australian Rhino Project.

Each rhino costs $70,000 to transport, director Ray Dearlove says.

He wants to establish a breeding herd in Australia and reintroduce them to Africa once the threat of poaching decreases.

South Australia's Monarto Zoo is set to take in three rhinos this year and up to 30 over the course of the project.

More than 1300 rhinos were poached last year in South Africa alone, Zoos SA chief Elaine Bensted said.

"We've reached the tipping point where more rhinos are poached each year than are born."


Share

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world