The Kruger National Park (KNP) recorded a 37% decrease in rhino poaching from 2022, with a total of 78 poached in 2023. No rhinos were poached in any other national parks.

This is according to the 2023 National Rhino Poaching Statistics released by the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, Barbara Creecy, on Tuesday February 27. During 2023, 499 rhinos were poached across South Africa, 406 were killed on state properties and 93 on privately owned parks, reserves and farms. This was an increase of 51 in comparison to the 448 rhinos poached in 2022.

She outlined that the decrease of rhino poached in the KNP in 2023 can be attributed to various combined interventions:
• There is strong collaboration between external stakeholders permanently based in the KNP and attending to various wildlife crime cases, such as the Skukuza Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, Skukuza SAPS and SAPS forensic teams.
• An extensive and ongoing dehorning programme has been kick-started, which focuses on the dehorning of all rhinos in core areas.
• The continued implementation of the KNP Ranger Services Integrity Management Plan, which is a holistic approach that assesses the drivers and dynamics of corruption, and then addresses these with a comprehensive set of actions that focuses on building individual integrity and organisational resilience to corruption.
• There is improved access control through the installation of automated number plate recognition cameras and gate cameras.
• Radar detection systems that remotely track any illegal entry by poachers on foot into the KNP have been implemented.

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Creecy said in the 2023/24 financial year, the department embarked on a consultative process to revise both the black and white rhinoceros’ biodiversity management plans in line with the provision of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act. In relation to rhino prosecutions, verdicts were handed down in 36 cases, of which 35 resulted in guilty verdicts and one in not guilty. The cases resulted in the conviction of 45 rhino poachers/rhino horn traffickers, with a conviction rate of 97%.

“The integrated work of the law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS, Hawks, SANParks, Environmental Enforcement Fusion Centre, the Environmental Management Inspectorate or Green Scorpions, customs officials, provincial park authorities and the National Prosecuting Authority has resulted in successful convictions.”

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She also encouraged members of the public to continue to report any suspicious activities around wildlife to the department’s environmental crime hotline on 0800 205 005 or the SAPS on 10111.