ARUSHA, Tanzania, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania has received a female black rhino from its birthplace in the Czech Republic to its natural homeland, authorities said Thursday.
Three-year-old female Eliska was moved to a natural park in Tanzania as part of an ongoing conservation project run by the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust, aimed at helping endangered animal populations to grow and prosper in their natural habitat.
The 900kg rhino landed at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) with DHL airline and was manned by a team comprising around 40 specialists in areas ranging from ground transportation and aviation to customs clearance and certification across more than five countries.
"I thank conservation stakeholders and the entire team in this project for making this possible. This will help to restore the number of rhinos in the sanctuary," Alan Kijazi, Director General of the Tanzania National Parks said.
Kilimanjaro regional Commissioner Meck Sadick also commended the initiative, though expressed his dismay over the increasing number of poaching incidents in the country.
Mkomazi National Park's chief park warden Marko Meoli said: "We're determined to protect this endangered wild animal by ensuring that no poacher is allowed to get into the park."
"We were very excited to have the opportunity to transport this beautiful animal home to Africa and to play our part in these critical efforts to help revive endangered Eastern black rhino populations," said Ken Allen, CEO of DHL Express.
