The national Wildlife Conservation Ministry mounted a search for black and white rhinos in South Sudan after some communities claimed to sight some specimens in the wild.
Eastern Equatoria Wildlife Conservation minister George Echom presented the government’s hunt for rhinos to the press in Torit, Radio Emmanuel reported.The minister said the national Government wants to establish the existence of rhinos that once lived in the national parks before the two-decade war but are no longer seen in the country.
Minister Echom, who could not establish the statistics of rhinos prior to their extinction, noted that the last rhino was sighted in 1990s in South Sudan.
He said rhinos were common in Nimule, Badingilo, Boma, Southern National Game Park and Kidepo Valley Game reserves.
The minister added that the search for rhinos was sparked off by reports from residents claiming to have spotted some animals in Bandingilo and Boma National Game Park.
Though the search team has never confirmed the existence rhinos, the minister said communities reported sighting one or two in the wild.