South Africa’s battle to defeat rhino poaching has taken a turn for the worse with the numbers killed rising in 2023.

Last year, 499 rhinos were hunted, an increase of 51 from the previous year, Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said.

South Africa is home to most of the world’s rhinos.

The country has some 2,000 black rhinos, considered to be “critically endangered”, and around 13,000 white rhinos, classed as “near threatened”.

Looking back over 10 years, poaching has fallen sharply from 2014 but has increased more recently.

Rhino horns have been in huge demand in Asian states such as China and Vietnam, where they are used in traditional medicines.

The majority of animals killed last year were in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The Kruger National Park, which had previously been a hotspot for poaching, saw a reduction of more than a third in 2023….. READ MORE