Barrick Advances Garamba Conservation Efforts with Second Reintroduction of White Rhinos
Barrick Reintroduces 24 White Rhinos to Garamba National Park in Major Conservation Milestone
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Barrick Gold carried out the second phase of its landmark white rhinoceros reintroduction programme in Garamba National Park, located in the Haut-Uélé province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The event was attended by government officials, conservation leaders and international partners.
From early morning, guests witnessed the arrival of the rhinos from South Africa, transported by aircraft and secured in specially designed wooden crates built to ensure maximum comfort and safety throughout the journey.
The Nagero airstrip, located near the park headquarters and tourist facilities, provided a suitable landing point for the smooth and incident-free operation.
Technical teams, eco-guards and conservation partners oversaw the offloading and careful transfer of the rhinos to a secure enclosure near the main camp. Thanks to the experience gained from the initial reintroduction, the process unfolded efficiently. The rhinos, initially wary, soon began exploring their surroundings—breathing DRC’s fresh air and adjusting to their new habitat.
The moment marked a significant achievement in Barrick’s environmental and biodiversity agenda, symbolising a commitment to restoring ecosystems that have long suffered from conflict and poaching.
Restoring the Garamba Ecosystem
Garamba National Park, once home to thriving populations of megafauna, endured decades of poaching by armed groups operating from neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic and Sudan. The white rhinoceros, one of the park’s most iconic species, was nearly wiped out.
Barrick’s initiative represents a major step toward restoring the ecological integrity of the park and strengthening the DRC’s conservation profile. The reintroduction of these rhinos is expected to enhance biodiversity, stimulate ecological balance, and support the country’s recovering tourism sector.
A Long-Term Conservation Partnership
The current operation marks the second stage of a long-term rhino reintroduction project. In 2023, the first group of 16 white rhinos was successfully translocated from the Beyond Phinda Private Reserve (Mun Ya Wana Reserve) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The programme aims to repopulate Garamba with a healthy, sustainable population of megaherbivores after the last northern white rhinoceros in the park was poached in 2006, rendering the subspecies functionally extinct.
By restoring white rhinos to the landscape, partners hope to rebuild ecological functions and enhance the resilience of the wider Garamba complex.
This conservation effort underscores Barrick’s role in supporting the protection of Congo’s natural heritage, while contributing to a broader strategy to rehabilitate one of Africa’s most historically significant wildlife areas.
