Rhino poaching in South Africa declines significantly!
This reprieve was specifically welcomed in the Kruger National Park, where during April, no rhino was poached in the Intensive Protection Zone for the first time in almost ten years!
South Africa (01 August 2020) – The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries says rhino poaching decreased by almost 53% in the first six months of 2020, with 166 animals being killed for their horns across the country since the beginning of the year.
During the first six months of 2019, a total of 316 rhino had been poached in South Africa.
“After a decade of implementing various strategies and campaigning against ever-increasing rhino poaching by local poachers recruited and managed by crime syndicates, efforts are paying off.
“We have been able to arrest the escalation of rhino losses,” the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy.
The Minister said with the COVID-19 lockdown to restrict movement, the decline in rhino poaching compared to the same period last year is striking.
This reprieve was specifically welcomed in the Kruger National Park, where during April, no rhino was killed in the Intensive Protection Zone for the first time in almost ten years.
Between the start of the lockdown on 27 March 2020 until the end of June 2020, a total of 46 rhino were poached across the country. Of these, 14 were poached during April, 13 in May and 19 in June.
In the Kruger National Park, 88 rhino were poached in the first six months of 2020. As the lockdown restrictions have gradually been lifted, rhino poaching incidents have slowly increased.
Between January and June, 38 suspected rhino poachers were arrested in the KNP and 23 firearms confiscated, while 57 suspects were arrested and 18 firearms recovered during the joint SANParks ECI/SAPS operations outside the KNP.
Despite attempts to smuggle rhino horns valued at around R115 million through O R Tambo International Airport in the first two weeks of July 2020, the decrease in rhino poaching can also be attributed to the disruption of the supply chain resulting from the national travel restrictions, including limitations placed on movement across the country.
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