Inside the world’s largest rhino farm, which requires a private army to protect its 2,000 white rhinos, and is now for sale for at least $10 million

A dehorned rhino slowly wakes up after his horn was trimmed at John Hume’s Rhino Ranch.Mujahid Safodien/AFP/Getty Images

• John Hume has been breeding rhinos since 1993 and owns the world’s largest rhino farm in South Africa.
• He fought a global ban on trading rhino horn, which would allow him to sell it to pay for his farm.

Later this month, John Hume, the owner of the world’s largest rhino farm, is selling up. For a minimum of $10 million, you can buy 2,000 white rhinos in South Africa.

He’s been breeding white rhinos since 1993. For years, he campaigned to make it legal to sell rhino horn — a substance more valuable than elephant ivory, cocaine, or gold.

He argued that by legalizing the trade authorities could stop poaching, but despite overturning a domestic ban in 2013, the global ban remained. Without being able to sell rhino horn, the cost of running his ranch — including his sophisticated security system consisting of radar detection, helicopter patrols, and armed guards — finally became too much.

The auction of the farm is set for April 26.