Campaign to rebuild white rhino population

Starting this year, 90 rhino monitors will be trained and deployed annually across Kruger National Park as part of an ongoing campaign to protect and increase South Africa’s white rhino population.

Launching the Rhino Renaissance Campaign on Tuesday, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George said they are stepping up the fight against poaching and the rhino horn trade.

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He said the rhino monitors will track the herds daily using drones, GPS collars and digital reporting systems to provide real-time data to enforcement teams.

“These are young South Africans, many from communities that border the park. They bring with them not only local knowledge and ancestral tracking skills, but also a stake in the future.

“They are not just protecting rhino. They are protecting livelihoods, family legacies, and the possibility of green jobs for a generation to come,” said George.

He said the white rhino population has dropped to 14 389 nationwide, with just over 2 000 left in the Kruger National Park.

“Poaching is not only a conservation issue. It threatens our economy, our national security, and the rule of law. The illegal rhino horn trade is linked to money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes,” said the minister.

It is hoped that the Rhino Renaissance Campaign will rebuild the Kruger’s white rhino population to 12 000 within the next decade.

“As at the end of June, 195 rhinos had been poached across South Africa this year — a reduction of 35 compared to the same period in 2024.

“June recorded the lowest monthly poaching figures so far this year, with 22 rhinos killed nationwide.

“Here in Kruger, which is still a primary target for poachers, we lost 11 rhinos in both May and June, down from 17 in January and 30 in February,” said Dr George.

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