SA rhino poaching falls, with KZN leading the way

South Africa’s rhino poaching incidents in 2024 continued on a downward trend and improved compared to 2023.

This is according to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, who announced the official figures on Thursday.

A total of 420 rhinos were poached from January to December last year, George said, which is 79 rhinos less than the 499 poached in 2023.

Of the 420, 320 were killed on state properties and 100 on privately-owned parks, reserves or farms.

KZN leads the herd

“The hardest hit province continues to be KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) that lost 232 rhinos. However, this is a notable decline from the 325 that were lost in 2023,” George said.

He said the significant reduction can largely be attributed to the Ezemvelo KZN dehorning programme that was implemented in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park from April to October last year.

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“The World Wide Fund for Nature funded programme had an immediate impact, with monthly poaching numbers dropping from 35 in April to fewer than 10 per month between May and September 2024,” he said.

The programme’s efforts were slightly derailed in October after poaching syndicates adjusted their tactics and started targeting dehorned rhinos, leading to a spike in numbers in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. KZN lost 27 rhinos that month.

The provincial anti-rhino poaching team responded swiftly, George said, intercepting the new syndicate and preventing further losses.

“The considerable efforts resulted in the province ultimately achieving a 67% decline in rhino poaching over the eight months.”

Kruger National Park numbers spike

While the overall stats showed improvement, Kruger National Park suffered an increase in incidents.

The SANParks-managed game reserve lost 88 rhinos to poaching last year, 10 more than the 78 in 2023.

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“Up until the end of November 2024, rhino losses reported in the Kruger National Park stood at 67, but a significant escalation in rhino poaching activities was experienced during December 2024 and this has continued into January 2025,” the minister said.

“A total of 21 rhino were reported poached in Kruger National Park in December 2024 and a further 17 were reported poached in January 2025.”

Countering threats

George said both SANParks and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife continue to implement initiatives to counter the threats in hotspot areas, including polygraph testing of Kruger National Park staff.

So far, disciplinary action has been taken against two employees in Ranger Services because of the polygraph tests.

“Wildlife trafficking remains a significant global issue that requires an intense and coordinated global endeavour if we are to succeed in disrupting the criminal networks,” George said.

“As we intensify the fight against wildlife poaching, it is encouraging to see that the work of the rangers, the department of the environment, forestry and fisheries and other key role players is steadily gaining momentum,” the minister added.

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