Two rhinos die in Chad after being relocated from S.Africa

- Two of six critically endangered black rhinos have died of unknown causes five months after being flown from South Africa to Chad in a pioneering project to re-introduce the animals, officials said Sunday.

Rhinos in Chad were wiped out by poaching nearly 50 years ago, and the six rhinos were intended to establish a new population in the country after intensive anti-poaching measures were put in place to protect them.

"We can confirm that these two rhinos (a male and a female) were not poached," the South African environment department and Chad government said in a joint statement.

"However, the exact cause of death is not yet known."