Dehorning bears fruit as rhino poaching deaths drop in 2024

(Graphic: Supplied by DFFE)

6 Mar 2025

The number of rhinos killed in South Africa has dropped from around 500 deaths in 2023, to 420 last year – largely because of a major dehorning programme in KwaZulu-Natal’s world-famous Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve that led to an almost 70% drop in poaching during the last eight months of the year.

More than a thousand rhinos were dehorned in this park last year to make them less desirable targets for poaching syndicates.

Releasing the latest rhino poaching statistics yesterday (6 March) Environment Minister Dion George welcomed the “encouraging downward trend” in poaching, particularly in KZN, where poaching deaths dropped from 325 rhinos in 2023 to 232 last year.

“From January to December 2024, 420 rhinos were poached in South Africa, with 320 being killed on state properties and 100 on privately owned parks, reserves or farms. This was a decrease (of 79) in comparison to 499 rhinos poached in 2023.

rhino horn Wildlife veterinarian Dr Mike Toft removes the horn from a white rhino in Somkhanda Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo: Tony Carnie)

“The hardest hit province continues to be KwaZulu-Natal that lost 232 rhinos; however, this is a notable decline from the 325 that were lost in 2023. The significant reduction can largely be attributed to the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Dehorning Programme, that was implemented in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park from April to October 2024.

“The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) funded programme had an immediate impact, with monthly poaching numbers dropping from 35 in April to fewer than 10 per month between May and September 2024.

“In October, however, poaching syndicates adapted their tactics and began targeting dehorned rhinos, leading to a sudden spike in poaching incidents in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and in that month alone, the province lost 27 rhinos. Fortunately, the provincial anti-rhino poaching team responded swiftly, intercepting the new syndicate and preventing further losses. The considerable efforts resulted in the province ultimately achieving a 67% decline in rhino poaching over the eight months,” George’s statement said.

Steady drop

Jeff Cooke, the manager of WWF South Africa’s rhino conservation unit, that has been assisting Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife with a massive operation to dehorn rhinos in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, noted that the dehorning began only in April, leading to a steady drop in poaching during the last eight months of the year.

“It’s looking much better each month,” he said, recalling that more than 100 rhinos were gunned down in the first four months of the year, (before the dehorning operation began).

white rhino recover Wildlife staff wait for a white rhino to recover after being anaesthetised and dehorned in KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo: Tony Carnie)

Nevertheless, Cooke cautioned that it was essential for all rhino reserves to regularly dehorn their animals, as the horns continue to grow after being shaved off with chainsaws, without damaging the growth plate at the horn base.

It was likely, he said, that recent dehorning in KZN had deflected poaching pressure from this province back towards the Kruger National Park and other rhino reserves.

George confirmed that 88 rhinos were poached in Kruger last year – 10 more animals than the 78 deaths reported for Kruger National Park in 2023.

“Up until the end of November 2024, rhino losses reported in the Kruger National Park stood at 67, but a significant escalation in rhino poaching activities was experienced during December 2024 and this has continued into January 2025.

“ A total of 21 rhino were reported poached in Kruger National Park during December 2024 and a further 17 were reported poached during January 2025. This escalation in rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park is of great concern.”

He said SANParks and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife were both continuing to implement “a number of actions and initiatives” to reduce poaching in hotspot areas, including polygraph (lie-detector) tests for conservation staff. These tests had led to the arrests of at least two rangers in Kruger.

(Graphic: Supplied by DFFE)

While the latest statistics appear to be a cause for hope, it remains difficult to measure the true significance of the latest decline in poaching deaths as a percentage of the total population. This is because annual statistical estimates on the total remaining population of rhinos in South African reserves are not publicised for security reasons.

However, total rhino numbers have been dropping dramatically since around 2008, the year poaching began to escalate significantly in South Africa – reaching an annual killing rate of more than 1,000 animals a year for five consecutive years between 2013 and 2017.

The worst year was 2014, when 1,215 rhinos were shot and butchered nationally.

Poaching deaths have since declined steadily, partly because there are now fewer rhinos to poach and also due to more effective security measures and dehorning programmes.

However, dehorning still has limitations due to high costs and because there have been several cases of dehorned rhinos being killed to extract their remnant horn stumps, especially with older animals and those that are not dehorned regularly.

In his statement, Minister George said he was encouraged that there had been “some very good convictions in relation to rhino related cases, with lengthy direct imprisonment terms “.

“However, the time that it takes to finalise many of these cases does remain a concern and unfortunately where the suspects are released on bail, the data tells us that a large number of them continue to commit crimes (often relating to rhino poaching and/or horn trafficking). Accordingly, expediting these cases through our courts as well as vigorously opposing bail will no doubt result in safeguarding more rhino.”

He noted the recent conviction of Francis Kipampa, a 50-year-old Congolese citizen who had become a major role-player in the buying of rhino horns in Gauteng.

He was sentenced in January to 18 years’ imprisonment, of which eight years were suspended for five years), during a collaborative investigation into organised crime and money laundering known as Project Blood Orange.

In a second case, Ntsako Miaas Maluleke and Phanuel Vutivi Chabalala (arrested at OR Tambo Airport in 2018 en route to Vietnam with two boxes containing 27 rhino horns) were convicted last year and sentenced to 20 years in jail (five years of which was suspended, resulting in an effective 15 years in prison)

Two Kruger Park rangers, Lucky Mkanzi and Joe Sihlangu, were also sentenced to an effective term of 20 years each after being convicted on several charges related to assisting in rhino poaching in the Crocodile Bridge area for financial reward. DM.

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Steady drop