The Serengeti has had incredible rains this year scattering the savanna with wild flowers. The grass has grown high and only recently been trampled by the wildebeest as they head north for the following months. This May was chosen as an ideal date for the commencement of the rhino repatriation project as all aspects of their relocation are being locked in place.
The rhinos that will be brought next week have been caught and placed in bomas in South Africa where they will spend the remaining days before their transport to Tanzania. This time is critical for their success en route and helps to familiarize them with new, smaller surroundings.
On May 20th, they will be placed in smaller crates that will allow for their transport aboard a large military aircraft, the Hercules C-130. The Hercules typically carry tanks, or “kifaru” in Swahili. Funnily enough, the translation of “rhino” to Swahili is also “kifaru”. A crew in Seronera led by TANAPA has worked to ready the airstrip. The turnaround has been enlarged, the surface, though still dirt, has been smoothed and the approach area has been made longer.
From Seronera, the rhino will be offloaded in crates and onto large trucks.
From there, they will be driven to a set of newly built bomas. Here they will be kept for approximately two weeks while being monitored closely. 
Once they have adapted to the new local natural browse, they will be release into the park and kept at close watch by rangers and ecologists. The date is less than two weeks away – stay posted to hear who will be present to welcome their arrival and for more details about each rhino!
More information on the project can be found by clicking here.
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