Rhino kills Hungarian conservationist in Rwanda

Black rhinos are threatened by extinction

A conservationist who played a key role in reintroducing the eastern black rhino to Rwanda has been killed by one of the animals, a wildlife group says.

Krisztián Gyöngyi was tracking animals in the Akagera National Park when he was killed, African Parks added.

It did not give more details, but rhinos usually charge and kill people with their horn.

Eastern black rhinos became extinct in Rwanda about a decade ago, and were reintroduced in May.

African Parks brought 20 rhinos from South Africa to the Akagera National Park.

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The death of Mr Gyöngyi, who was from Hungary, was "very tragic" and a "huge loss", African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead said in a statement.

He was a rhino specialist with more than five years' experience, and was instrumental in supporting efforts to reintroduce the black rhino to Rwanda, Mr Fearnhead said.

In the 1970s, more than 50 black rhinos lived in the Akagera National Park, but their numbers fell as a result of wide-scale poaching.

The last confirmed sighting of the species was in 2007 until African Parks reintroduced them in May after taking steps to improve security at the reserve.