South Africa recorded a 16‑percent decline in rhino poaching in 2025, Environment Minister Willie Aucamp announced on Tuesday, marking a rare national improvement in a country that has long been the global epicentre of rhino killings.
A total of 352 rhinos were poached between January and December 2025, down from 420 the previous year. Of these, 266 were killed on state property and 86 on private land.
“This was a decrease of 68 in comparison to 420 rhinos poached in 2024,” Aucamp said.
But the national improvement masked sharp regional disparities.
Mpumalanga emerged as the hardest‑hit province, losing 178 rhinos – nearly double the 92 recorded in 2024.
Kruger National Park accounted for 175 of those losses, up from 88 the previous year, showing the park’s continued vulnerability to organised poaching syndicates.
By contrast, KwaZulu‑Natal’s Hluhluwe‑iMfolozi Park saw a dramatic drop in poaching, from 198 rhinos in 2024 to 63 in 2025.
Aucamp credited “dedication and tactical, swift coordination” across anti‑poaching and anti‑trafficking units for the overall decline.
He said the gains were also driven by improved detection systems, including advanced camera technologies and sensors, and by integrity measures such as the polygraphing of all park law‑enforcement personnel.
South Africa has battled industrial‑scale rhino poaching for more than a decade, fuelled largely by demand for horn in Asian markets.
Although poaching peaked in 2014, when more than 1,200 rhinos were killed, the threat remains severe, particularly in Kruger, where criminal syndicates continue to exploit porous borders and corruption.
Aucamp said South Africa would continue strengthening international cooperation after receiving the Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence Award last year for its work against transboundary wildlife crime.
“Sustained success requires constant adaptation, integrity and cooperation across all sectors,” he said.
JN/APA