A Huey helicopter lifts a white rhino into the sky at the start of the animal's trip to a new home somewhere in KwaZulu-Natal. Wildlife authorities in the province move rhinos periodically to maintain healthy genetic diversity in the species, but keep their location secret to try to protect them from poachers. The airlift is quicker and less stressful for the rhinos, which are darted with anaesthetics first, than being transported by road. This previously unpublished picture was taken in April
Image: Em Gatland
Image: Em Gatland
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The relocation of some of the Kruger National Park's white rhino began on Wednesday, SA National Parks said.
This followed a rhino management strategy adopted by Cabinet in August to curb poaching.
"Relocation is the core of our approach, not only to combat poaching, but to ensure the continued growth of the rhino population," SANParks chairman Kuseni Dlamini said in a statement.
"We aim to restimulate growth in large protected areas while creating new rhino strongholds. In this way, we will be able to offset the effects of poaching in the short to medium-term, while expanding rhino range and improving the overall population size."
Auctioning rhino in line with the management strategy would take place later in the year, he said.