The reintroduction of rhinos in Akagera National Park in Rwanda in May has started to pay off.

Last week, park officials confirmed the birth of a rhino calf, the first to be born in Rwanda over a decade.

The exciting news was announced on World Rhino Day last week, only months after 18 Eastern Black rhinos were successfully translocated from South Africa to Rwanda.

The historic translocation was led by African Parks, a non-profit conservation organisation that manages national parks and protected areas on behalf of governments across the continent, in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) with funding provided by the Howard G Buffett Foundation.

Additional support for the project comes from the People’s Postcode Lottery and the Dutch government.

The park’s rhino monitoring team first sighted the young rhino in August.

The mother of the calf, nicknamed Ineza, was one of the rhinos translocated from South Africa in May.

“The first rhino calf to be born in over a decade is a profound moment for Rwanda and its people, a country that is leading in its commitment to the conservation of endangered species,” said Jes Gruner, Akagera National Park Manager.

“The collaboration with the RDB in the restoration of the park over the past six years culminated in the translocation of 18 rhinos from South Africa to the Rwandan park.

“Through our management and protection and collaboration with local communities, we are working to safeguard the growth of an important population of rhinos for the region.”

The park, a protected savannah land, is a suitable habitat for the Eastern Black rhino.

Tracked daily by dedicated monitoring teams, the translocated rhinos are prospering.

In the 1970s, the park had more than 50 Black rhinos but, due to poaching, the animals were wiped out with the last confirmed sighting in 2007.

Since assuming management of the Akagera National Park in partnership with RDB in 2010, African Parks has overhauled law enforcement, reducing poaching to an all-time low with not a single animal poached this year.

Preparations were made specifically to ensure the long-term safety and well-being of the rhino population, including expertly trained rhino tracking and protection team, a canine anti-poaching unit, and the deployment of a helicopter for critical air surveillance to enhance protection of the park.