South Africa rhino poaching drops in 2025 – but Kruger NP numbers rise

South Africa has reported encouraging progress in the fight against wildlife crime, with a 16% drop in rhino poaching in 2025 compared to the previous year. The improvement follows intensified anti-poaching operations, stronger cooperation between authorities and private reserves, and increased use of technology to detect criminal activity. For safari travellers, the figures highlight both positive conservation momentum and the ongoing challenges facing some of the country’s most iconic parks.

Key rhino poaching statistics for 2025

• 352 rhinos poached in 2025, down from 420 in 2024
• 266 being killed on state properties and 86 on privately owned parks, reserves or farms
• Major successes in KwaZulu-Natal, but Kruger National Park saw a worrying rise

Kruger National Park: Increase in losses

For travellers visiting Kruger National Park, the latest figures show a concerning trend:

• 175 rhinos poached in Kruger National Park in 2025
• Up from 88 rhinos in 2024

Mpumalanga - home to Kruger National Park - became the hardest-hit region, highlighting the ongoing pressure from organised wildlife crime syndicates operating around the national park.

The provincial and national breakdown for 2023, 2024 and 2025
(C) South African National Parks

Major success in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

There is encouraging news from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal, where poaching dropped dramatically:

• 63 rhinos poached in 2025, down from 198 in 2024

Authorities credit this improvement to:

• Expanded dehorning programmes
• Advanced camera and sensor technology
• Strong cooperation between park authorities, private rhino owners and conservation NGOs

Stronger law enforcement and convictions

South Africa continues to intensify its anti-poaching strategy with:

• Increased intelligence-led operations
• Greater cooperation between police, prosecutors and environmental agencies
• Successful prosecution of major wildlife trafficking syndicates, including a 20-year prison sentence handed down in a major rhino crime case in 2025

What this means for safari travellers

For visitors, the overall decline is a positive sign for conservation and sustainable tourism. South Africa remains one of the best places in the world to see rhinos in the wild, and tourism continues to play a key role in supporting protection efforts.

However, the rise in poaching in Kruger National Park highlights why responsible travel and conservation funding remain critical.

 

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South Africa: Rhino poaching Numbers decline in 2024!

The South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has released the rhino poaching statistics for 2024. According to the data, a total of 420 rhinos were poached across South Africa from January to December 2024. Of these, 320 were killed on state-owned properties, while 100 were poached on privately owned parks, reserves, or farms. This marks a significant decrease compared to the 499 rhinos lost to poaching in 2023.
KwaZulu-Natal remained the hardest-hit province, with 232 rhinos poached in 2024. However, this is a notable decline from the 325 rhinos killed in the region the previous year. A major factor behind this reduction was the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Dehorning Programme, which was implemented in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park between April and October 2024. Funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the initiative had an immediate impact, with poaching numbers dropping from 35 in April to fewer than 10 per month between May and September.

Kruger National Park reported a total of 88 rhinos poached in 2024, an increase of 10 compared to the 78 recorded in 2023. Up until the end of November 2024, rhino losses in Kruger National Park stood at 67, but a sharp escalation in poaching activity occurred in December. That month alone, 21 rhinos were killed, and the trend continued into January 2025, with another 17 rhinos reported poached.
In KwaZulu-Natal, poaching syndicates adapted their tactics in October and began targeting dehorned rhinos, leading to a sudden surge in incidents. That month alone, the province lost 27 rhinos. Fortunately, swift action by the provincial anti-poaching team led to the interception of the new syndicate, preventing further losses. Thanks to these concerted efforts, KwaZulu-Natal ultimately recorded a 67% decline in rhino poaching over the eight-month period.

South Africa has released rhino poaching statistics for 2023!

The South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has released the rhino poaching statistics for 2023. A total of 499 rhinos were poached across South Africa, 406 were killed on state properties and 93 on privately owned parks/reserves/farms. This was an increase of 51 rhinos in comparison to 448 rhinos poached in 2022. Out of the 499 rhinos, 307 were illegally killed in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal. Kruger National Park (KNP) recorded a 37% decrease from 2022 with a total of 78 poached in 2023. No rhinos were poached in any other of South Africa's National Parks.

In relation to rhino prosecutions in South Africa in 2023, verdicts were handed down in 36 cases of which 35 resulted in guilty verdicts and one in a not guilty verdict. The cases resulted in the conviction of 45 accused rhino poachers/rhino horn traffickers with a conviction rate of 97%.

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Members of the public can report any suspicious activities around wildlife to its environmental crime hotline which is 0800 205 005 or the South African Police Service (SAPS) number 10111!

KwaZulu-Natal: Shocking rhino poaching figures!

According to the "Daily Maverick", a South African daily online newspaper, at least 75 rhinos have been illegally killed by poachers in South Africa's province of KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of 2022 (01 January - 04 April 2022). Almost all of the 75 animals were poached in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa and the flaghip park of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. A total of 102 rhinos got illegally killed by poachers in 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal and 93 rhinos in 2020. The "Daily Maverick" quotes Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesperson Musa Mntambo saying that rhinos had been dehorned in most of the agency’s smaller reserves, but he was not aware of any plans to dehorn animals in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in South Africa's province of KwaZulu-Natal.