Rhino poaching in South Africa fell by approximately 16% last year, with 420 rhinos killed compared to 499 in the previous year, the government announced Thursday.
South Africa is home to nearly half of Africa’s critically endangered black rhinos and the world’s largest population of near-threatened white rhinos. Despite ongoing conservation efforts, rhino horns remain highly sought after in East Asian markets for use in traditional medicine and jewelry.
Of the rhinos killed last year, 320 were poached on state land, while 100 were taken from private reserves, parks, or farms, Environment Minister Dion George said in a statement.
George credited the decline partly to a dehorning initiative in KwaZulu-Natal, the province hardest hit by poaching. However, he expressed concern over a rise in poaching in Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest wildlife reserves, where the number of rhinos killed increased to 88 from 78 the previous year. The park’s vast, remote terrain presents significant challenges for law enforcement.
To combat poaching, the government has ramped up security measures, including polygraph testing for staff at high-risk areas such as Kruger and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi parks.
Meanwhile, neighboring Namibia reported a rise in rhino poaching, with cases increasing to 83 last year from 69 in 2023.
