Captive-bred rhinos freed in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The threatened black rhinoceros population in Kenya has received a boost as several captive-bred rhinos have been released into the wild, experts say.

The BBC said Friday that, according to experts, the release of the endangered animals for the first time in more than a quarter century will help wildlife conservation efforts in Africa.

While the black rhino population was once thriving in Africa, a loss of the animals' natural habitat and poaching led to a drastic population decline.

In Kenya alone, the number of black rhinos dropped from 20,000 of the animals during the 1970s to nearly 500 in modern times.

To protect the animals, most of the remaining black rhinos were placed in sanctuaries and raised in essential captivity.

The BBC said thanks to the combined efforts of the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Zoological Society of London, members of the species was finally deemed ready to be released back into the wild.