Endangered rhinos ready to be sent from Europe to Rwanda

DVUR KRALOVE, Czech Republic — Officials say five critically endangered eastern black rhinos from wildlife parks in three European countries are ready for a transport back to their natural habitat in Rwanda, where the entire rhino population was wiped out during the genocide in the 1990s.

Three female and two male rhinos from the Dvur Kralove zoo in the Czech Republic, Flamingo Land in Britain and Ree Park Safari in Denmark first met in the Czech park in November.

Zoo officials said Thursday they have been gradually trained to get used to custom-made crates that will be used to transport them Sunday to Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda, which is now considered safe for rhinos. 

There are only a few hundred of the subspecies remaining in the world.

AP