Zimbabwe flies 5 black rhinos to Botswana

Zimbabwe loaded five black rhinos onto a plane bound for Botswana Wednesday, its first such exports since the 1990s, as part of conservation efforts amid an increase in poaching in southern Africa.

According to Bloomberg, the animals were secured in crates loaded onto a camouflaged Botswana Defense Force plane at the Buffalo Range Airport. The exports follow the relocation of rhinos to Botswana from South Africa.

"We agreed that we'd send 20 black rhinos to them as part of conservation efforts within the region," Zimbabwean Environment Secretary Prince Mupazviriho said in an interview.

The remaining rhinos will be transported at later date.

The animals will be relocated to the Moremi game reserve in Botswana, which was found to be suitable and where "the rhinos would be adequately protected post-release," said Mark Saunders, the executive director of the Malilangwe Trust, which supplied the rhinos.