Rhino poaching in South Africa is better than it used to be, according to numbers released by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. 499 rhinos were killed in 2023, which is 51 more than in 2022, but still a long way off the 1,054 killed in 2016. But poaching in KwaZulu-Natal is rising at an alarming rate, especially in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, run by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

Since 2021, which is roughly when the Covid pandemic ended, rhino poaching in KwaZulu-Natal has increased by 219%, from 93 rhinos to 325 in 2023. Sadly, 307 rhinos were killed in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park alone, that’s 62% of the national total. Up to 2021, most rhinos were poached in areas run by SANParks, which manages 19 national parks around the country, the largest of which is the Kruger National Park. But poaching numbers in SANParks reserves have been decreasing steadily since 2016. In 2023 there were 78 rhinos killed, all of them in the Kruger Park. 81% of the rhinos were killed on state properties, 19% on privately owned reserves or farms.