Platinum Rhino

White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) female and young

Platinum Rhino is a registered captive breeding organization in South Africa that has built up significant biological assets in the form of about 2,000 southern white rhinos. It is home to over 16% of South Africa’s southern white rhino population and is considered the largest of its kind in the world. The organization was previously known as Buffalo Dream Ranch.

In 2023 John Hume, Platinum Rhino's founder, put his 1,999 southern white rhinos up for auction as he could no longer afford the $9,800 a day running costs. However, no buyers have come forward so far. The future of Platinum Rhino is uncertain due to its high running costs and concerns over rewilding captive-bred rhino.

In September 2023, African Parks, a non-profit conservation organization that manages 22 protected areas in Africa, announced that it had purchased Platinum Rhino. The organization plans to rewild these rhinos over the next 10 years to well-managed and secure areas, establishing or supplementing strategic populations of the near-threatened species.

The African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) has developed a paper on the conservation contribution of the Platinum Rhino Southern white rhino captive breeding operation. The paper suggests that while the number of rhinos is important, rhino conservation is not just about the total number of rhinos. Thriving African rhinos play key ecological roles within ecosystems, and their evolution depends on their genetic health, not just on population numbers. They are valued by people as iconic species and contribute to human well-being.

See also

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