Barrick Gold promises to finance the transfer of 50 white rhinos to Garamba National Park in the DRC
Barrick Gold, a miner present at the Kibali gold mine, promises to finance the transfer of at least 50 white rhinos from South Africa to Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is one of the big announcements made by the mining giant on its twitter account and made public on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
This transfer of white rhinos is part of the aim of creating a new population group for this species in order to contribute to its long-term survival, while strengthening the attractiveness of the park.
To oversee the project, Barrick Gold has hired the services of African Park and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), a public institution responsible for the conservation of protected areas in the DRC.
“The conservation of biodiversity is fundamental to the survival of the planet, essential to combat climate change and has an important role to play in the war against poverty,” said Grant Beringer, chief sustainability officer at Barrick.
The white rhino transfer project is included in the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) policy that Barrick Gold applies in its operations around the world.
Since 2015, we are informed, it has been supporting the Garamba Park, listed as a world heritage site under threat by UNESCO and located 70 km north of its mine, through several projects to protect and restore the biodiversity.
It should also be noted that the Kibali project in the DRC is the largest gold mine in Africa, with an average annual production of approximately 800,000 ounces. It produced 168,000 ounces of gold in the first quarter of 2022, according to statistics released by project officials.
