Black Rhinos return to Matusadona National Park in major conservation milestone

Critically endangered black rhinos have returned to Zimbabwe's Matusadona National Park for the first time in more than three decades, marking one of the country's most significant wildlife conservation achievements in recent years.

Situated along the shores of Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park was once home to Zimbabwe's largest population of black rhino. However, widespread poaching during the late 1980s and early 1990s forced authorities to relocate the remaining animals to safer areas across the country.

Now, descendants of those original rhinos have been reintroduced to the park through a joint initiative involving African Parks, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), and conservation partners.

The rhinos were carefully transported from several protected areas, including Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy and Matobo National Park, before being moved to a secure protection zone within Matusadona. Following a period of monitoring, they will be released in phases into the wild.

For travellers, the return of black rhinos adds another exciting dimension to Matusadona National Park's wildlife offering. The park is already renowned for its spectacular Lake Kariba scenery, elephant herds, lion populations, and exceptional wilderness experiences.

The reintroduction forms part of Zimbabwe's long-term Rhino Conservation Strategy and is expected to establish a new breeding population that will help strengthen the country's black rhino numbers over the coming decades.

The project also highlights the remarkable recovery of Matusadona National Park since African Parks began co-managing the reserve in 2019, helping restore one of Zimbabwe's most iconic safari destinations.

Visitors to Matusadona National Par can now look forward to the possibility of seeing one of Africa's rarest and most endangered mammals roaming the landscape once again.

 

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Africa’s largest private Black Rhino Sanctuary planned in Namibia!

Namibia is taking a bold step in wildlife conservation with the creation of the world’s largest privately-owned Black Rhino sanctuary in the Gondwana Canyon Park, located in the Fish River Canyon landscape of southern Namibia.
Developed by Gondwana Collection Namibia in partnership with ERP Conservation Foundation Namibia and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the sanctuary will protect one of Africa’s most endangered species - with fewer than 5,500 Black Rhinos left in the wild.
This milestone builds on 30 years of ecological restoration within Gondwana Canyon Park, transforming former livestock farms into a thriving haven for desert-adapted wildlife. The sanctuary borders the /Ai-/Ais–Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, supporting cross-border conservation and rhino metapopulation management.
Plans include immersive rhino tourism experiences, an educational centre at Canyon Roadhouse, and the deployment of anti-poaching units. This initiative reflects Namibia's leadership in sustainable conservation - inviting global support to protect rhinos and restore one of Earth’s oldest landscapes.

The Black Rhino is smaller and more solitary than its cousin, the White Rhino. Known for its hooked upper lip, it is well adapted for browsing on shrubs and trees in dry, arid environments. Once widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, the species suffered a dramatic population collapse due to poaching and habitat loss, especially during the 20th century. Today, Namibia holds one of the last strongholds for desert-adapted Black Rhinos, thanks to decades of conservation work.

South Africa launches Rhino Renaissance Campaign to restore white rhino population!

On 15 July 2025, South Africa officially launched the Rhino Renaissance Campaign, a bold and visionary effort to restore the country’s dwindling white rhino population. Unveiled during the G20 Environment and Sustainability Working Group meeting at Skukuza Rest Camp in Kruger National Park, the campaign signals a renewed commitment to wildlife conservation, community empowerment, and global environmental leadership.

Why It Matters: South Africa’s Critical Role

South Africa is the last stronghold for the white rhinoceros, hosting over 80% of Africa’s remaining population. At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was nearly extinct, with fewer than 100 individuals left. Conservationists turned the tide, and by 2010, the population surged to more than 20,700 white rhinos, including over 12,000 within Kruger National Park.

But this progress has reversed dramatically:

• Rhino numbers declined from ~20,711 in 2010 to just 14,389 by the end of 2024
• 420 rhinos were poached in 2024, a slight drop from 499 in 2023

2025 Poaching Update: Glimmers of Hope

Despite ongoing threats, 2025 is showing early signs of improvement in the battle against rhino poaching:

• January – March 2025: 103 rhinos poached (~34 per month)
• By end of June 2025: 195 rhinos killed — a 35-animal decrease compared to the same period in 2024
• June 2025: Just 22 rhinos poached, the lowest monthly figure this year

Regional Highlights

• Kruger National Park: Remains a high-risk zone, though numbers are stabilizing with 11 rhinos lost in both May and June
• KwaZulu-Natal: A major success story — poaching dropped from 232 rhinos in 2024 to just 16 in Q1 2025

The Goal: From 2,000 to 12,000 Rhinos in Kruger National Park

At the heart of the Rhino Renaissance Campaign is a 10-year plan to rebuild Kruger National Park's rhino population from just over 2,000 today to 12,000. This ambitious target will be achieved through a multifaceted conservation model:

Four Key Strategies

1. Advanced Surveillance
   Deploying smart technology (drones, AI tracking, sensors) to monitor rhinos and detect poaching threats in real time.
2. Community Empowerment
   Training 90 local Rhino Monitors each year to create conservation-linked employment and deepen grassroots involvement.
3. Cross-Border Collaboration
   Strengthening partnerships with neighbouring countries to combat wildlife trafficking networks across southern Africa.
4. Strategic Dehorning
   Ethically removing rhino horns in targeted areas to reduce their value to poachers and protect the animals.

Global Vision: A G20 Legacy Project

Minister Dion George highlighted that the Rhino Renaissance Campaign is not just a South African effort - it’s a global movement. As part of the G20 Legacy Projects, the initiative seeks to inspire international cooperation in addressing biodiversity loss and environmental crime.

The choice of Kruger National Park for the launch sends a strong message: this campaign is about preserving our shared natural heritage for future generations.

Final Thoughts:

The Rhino Renaissance Campaign is South Africa's most ambitious conservation drive in decades. With a clear roadmap and international backing, there is real hope that the white rhino will not just survive - but thrive again in the wild.

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Zimbabwe: White rhinos return to Gonarezhou National Park after nearly 100 Years!

For the first time in almost a century, white rhinos are once again roaming freely in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. This groundbreaking reintroduction represents a major step toward restoring lost biodiversity and establishing a new, viable population of white rhinos in Zimbabwe's second-largest national park.
Although a few isolated sightings of white rhinos were recorded in Gonarezhou up until 1992, the last known viable population in the park likely vanished in the early 1900s. After being completely extirpated from the region, efforts to reintroduce white rhinos to Zimbabwe began in the latter half of the 20th century, primarily through translocations from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. However, unlike black rhinos, white rhinos had never before been re-established in Gonarezhou - until now.
The planning for the white rhino reintroduction project began in 2023, building on the successful black rhino reintroduction in 2021. Conservation experts, ecologists, and park authorities conducted detailed feasibility studies to ensure Gonarezhou National Park's habitats were suitable. The operation included close collaboration around sourcing healthy individuals, planning transport logistics, and developing long-term monitoring protocols.
In April and May 2025, the reintroduction was successfully carried out with the following key steps:

• Selection of individual white rhinos based on social compatibility, age, and gender;
• Safe immobilization and transportation from source areas;
• A transitional holding phase in specially designed pens;
• Final release into secure areas of Gonarezhou National Park;
• Implementation of rigorous post-release monitoring and anti-poaching measures.

This marks a historic conservation milestone for Zimbabwe, reintroducing a species once thought lost to the region. But this is only the beginning. The focus now shifts to long-term protection, community engagement, and scientific monitoring to ensure the white rhino population thrives in its new home.
With support from conservation partners, local communities, and national authorities, Gonarezhou National Park is now poised to become a critical sanctuary for white rhino conservation in Southern Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal: 80% drop in rhino poaching in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park!

According to the World Wildlife Fund South Africa (WWF South Africa), the ongoing Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife mass dehorning of rhinos in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) in KwaZulu-Natal has resulted in an 80% drop in poaching in the park since the operation began in April this year. To date, it has spared the lives of an estimated 120 rhinos and enabled the rescue of eight orphaned calves whose mothers had been killed. The calves were found in the early days of the operation when poaching levels were still high and are now being cared for at the Zululand Rhino Orphanage. In April 2024, when the dehorning operation first started,  around 30 animals a month were being killed. In June 2024 only four animals were lost, in July 2024 eight and four in August 2024.
KwaZulu-Natal lost a total of 325 rhinos in 2023 to poaching, with a significant 307 of those illegally killed within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. This represents more than 10% of the park’s population and some 60% of the national poaching loss in South Africa.

"Rhino Rewild": African Parks translocated 120 Southern white rhino to member reserves of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF)!

African Parks, a conservation NGO that manages 22 protected areas in partnership with 12 governments across Africa, has announced that it has successfully translocated 120 Southern white rhino to member reserves of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF) in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, South Africa. This translocation is the second move to happen under "Rhino Rewild", an ambitious plan to rewild 2,000 southern white rhino into secure protected areas in Africa over the next 10 years.
The rhino will not be released into the Kruger National Park itself, but into private game reserves along its western boundary, a consensus reached through collaboration, and expert inputs from Kruger National Park and South African National Parks (SANParks) counterparts. This strategic placement to private reserves bordering the Kruger National Park strengthens the rhino metapopulation and lays the groundwork for potential future collaboration as Kruger National Park continues its fight against poaching.

“The rhino will come in dehorned, which is a very effective way to decrease the poaching risk in this landscape. We’re at a point where this risk is well calculated,” says Markus Hofmeyr, wildlife vet and Director of the Rhino Recovery Fund. “This will be the first re-introduction of rhino into this landscape in about 50 years.” [src.]

The Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF), a registered non-profit organisation, was established in 2016 in direct response to the unprecedented rise in rhino poaching in the Greater Kruger. The area is home to the world’s largest wild rhino population and comprises more than 2.5 million hectares of unfenced wilderness. 

African Parks has officially launched the rewilding phase of "Rhino Rewild"!

African Parks, a conservation NGO that manages 22 protected areas in partnership with 12 governments across Africa, has announced that it has officially launched the rewilding phase of "Rhino Rewild", an ambitious plan to rewild 2,000 southern white rhino into secure protected areas in Africa over the next 10 years. The Munywana Conservancy in Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, received 40 southern white rhino in support of the conservancy's successful conservation and community efforts. To achieve a successful outcome of this translocation, the animals' body condition and parasite adaptation will be closely monitored as they adjust to their new environment. In addition, the conservancy will implement its intensive security measures to ensure the safety of the 40 dehorned rhino.

The Munywana Conservancy, a collaboration of private and community landowners, is a protected wildlife conservation area in Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, spanning 29,866 hectares. The conservancy has a proud history of successful conservation endeavours and groundbreaking research which have been instrumental to the protection of threatened species including rhino, cheetah, pangolin, lion and elephant.

Addo Elephant National Parks: Rhinos now tracked by AI-powered collars!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that 31 rhino collars with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology have been donated to Addo Elephant National Park by various stakeholders to secure the safety of the rhino population in the National Park. Smart algorithms continuously monitor the rhino’s behaviour and in the event of an incident, an alert is generated that pinpoints the rhino’s location via Global Positioning System (GPS). This enables the effective, real-time investigation of possible poaching incidents. Behaviours that can be tracked include fighting, mating, giving birth and death. According to SANParks, this is a first-of-its-kind intervention at Addo Elephant National Park.

Addo Elephant National Park is located about 30km outside Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The National Park spans across an area of approximately 1,640km² and consists of a variety of landscapes, including dense forests, rolling hills, open grasslands, and coastal dunes. Addo Elephant National Park is not only home to the traditional Big 5, but the Big 7, which includes the Southern right whale and Great white shark in its marine environment.

KwaZulu-Natal: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife initiated a rhino dehorning programme in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park!

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal, that is has, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund South Africa (WWF South Africa), initiated a rhino dehorning programme in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP) on 08 April 2024. KwaZulu-Natal lost a total of 325 rhinos in 2023 to poaching, with a significant 307 of those illegally killed within Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park.

“It is with a heavy heart that the organisation has decided to dehorn. Rhino dehorning goes against the grain of what we stand for, but the persistent threat posed by poachers has necessitated more drastic measures to protect our rhinos”, said Ezemvelo CEO Sihle Mkhize.

According to the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), a total of 499 rhinos were poached across South Africa in 2023. 406 of those 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.

African Parks to release 2,000 southern white rhino into the wild over the next 10 years!

African Parks, a conservation NGO that manages 22 protected areas in partnership with 12 governments across Africa, has announced that it will take over the 7,800 hectare "Platinum Rhino" site near Klerksdorp in South Africa's North West province from wealthy property developer turned conservationist/wildlife rancher/rhino breeder John Hume (81). The world’s largest private captive rhino breeding operation is home to over 2,000 southern white rhino, which is equivalent to 15% of the world's remaining wild population of southern white rhino. According to African Parks, it has one clear objective: to rewild these rhino over the next 10 years to well-managed and secure areas, establishing or supplementing strategic populations, thereby de-risking the future of the species. The breeding programme will be phased out and the project will end once all the rhino are released into the wild. This is one of the largest continent-wide rewilding endeavours to occur for any species.

John Hume's "Patinum Rhino" farm went up for auction on 26 April 2023 due to financial reasons, but did not receive any bids. On 04 August 2023, African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead confirmed in a statement that his organisation had agreed to take over the farm and and all its rhinos – with the endorsement of the South African Government, which will support African Parks with technical and scientific advice, and the African Rhino Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Africa: New rhino population estimates released!

According to a report to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) African and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups, the total rhino population worldwide was estimated to be 26,272 as of 31 December 2021. Africa conserved an estimated 22,137 rhinoceroses at the end of 2021*, which comprised 6,195 black and 15,942 white rhinoceroses. Namibia is home to 34.8% (2,156 out of 6,195) of the continental population of black rhino, followed by South Africa (33.2%; 2,056), Kenya (15.1%; 938) and Zimbabwe (9.9%; 616). For white rhinoceroses, South Africa is home to 81.3% (12,968 out of 15,942) of the continental population, followed by Namibia (7.7%; 1,234), Kenya (5.5%; 873) and Zimbabwe (2.6%; 417). However, the white rhinoceros’ population in South Africa declined from 15,625 at the end of 2017 to 12 968 at the end of 2021. Also worth noting is that rhinoceros’ populations of Botswana declined from 452 white and 50 black rhinoceroses respectively at the end of 2017 to 242 white and 23 black rhinoceroses at the end of 2021. Most black rhinoceroses (6,031) occur in wild (free) ranging conditions, and an estimated one-third of white rhinoceros (4,883) occur in intensive or semi-wild ranging conditions, mostly in South Africa.
In the period 2018 to 2021, 2,707 rhinoceros poaching incidents were recorded in Africa, of which 90% took place in South Africa.

* 218 black and 1,077 white rhinoceroses are in ex-situ collections, resulting in 23,432 African rhinoceroses worldwide at the end of 2021.

Kruger National Park: SANParks beefs up security to counter the effects of rhino poaching!

South African National Parks (SANParks) and security partners in the Greater Kruger Region are jointly implementing a range of interventions as part of an integrated wildlife management approach to counter the effects of wildlife crime in Kruger National Park; in particular rhino poaching. According to SANParks, Kruger National Park has implemented a range of integrated management actions to minimise the impact of rhino poaching such as:

• Strategic dehorning of rhino in certain core areas of Kruger National Park.
• Strengthening security measures by deploying more South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) patrols to conduct random stop and search operations within Kruger National Park.
• Specialised radar, airborne and other detection technologies to even track poachers on foot.
• Highly trained tracker dogs and hounds to track suspected poachers in the bush.
• Continue to brief the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on the state of wildlife crime. It has been established that the loss of a rhino cow has a compound effect since it also includes the loss of a dependant calf and future calves. The compound effect is part of various factors that affect the population growth of rhinos apart from the immediate disruptive effect of poaching. The cows are extremely important for the overall population performance and need to be protected by introducing stiffer sentences in incidents where they have been poached for their horn and a calf is left destitute.

"These measures are not new in the fight against the scourge of poaching but we are intensifying them to render the incursions ineffective and counter the infiltration of our Rangers Corps by criminal syndicates. The courts have imposed stiff sentences in recent trials which is welcome as it shows the seriousness of the crimes and the threat posed by the criminal syndicates to the fauna and flora of South Africa." (Managing Executive of Kruger National Park, Gareth Coleman)

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

According to Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MET), the country has lost 17 rhinos and two elephants to poaching since the beginning of 2020. A total of 46 rhinos and 12 elephants got illegally killed by poachers in Namibia in 2019, compared to 57 rhinos and 26 elephants that lost their lives to poaching activities during 2018.  
Namibia has the second largest population of white rhinos in the world after South Africa and, according to Save the Rhino, it holds one-third of the world’s remaining black rhinos.

South Africa: Rhino poaching decreases by more than 50% in first half of 2020!

According to the latest numbers released by South Africa's Deparment of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, rhino poaching in the country has decreased by almost 53% in the first six months of 2020. A total of 166 rhinos were killed for their horns in South Africa since the beginning of the year.
During the first six months of 2019, 316 rhinos had been poached across the country. Between the start of the  lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus on 27 March 2020 until the end of June 2020, 46 rhino were poached in South Africa. Of these, 14 rhino were poached during April 2020, 13 in May 2020 and 19 in June 2020.

In Kruger National Park, 88 rhino were poached between January 2020 and June 2020.  As the lockdown restrictions have gradually been lifted so the rhino poaching incidents have slowly increased. In the first six months of 2020, 38 suspected rhino poachers have been arrest in Kruger National Park and 23 firearms confiscated, while 57 suspects have been arrested during joint South African National Parks Environmental Crime Investigation (SANParks ECI) / South African Police Service (SAPS) operations outside of Kruger National Park and 18 firearms recovered.

South Africa: New rhino poaching figures (January - June 2019)! [update]

update (24 September 2019): According to South Africa's Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy, Kruger National Park lost 190 rhinos in the first six months of this year. [src.]

South Africa's Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy, announced during her speech at the World Ranger Day commemoration at the Ranger Memorial at the Kruger Gate to the Kruger National Park on 31 July 2019 that in the first six months of 2019, 318 rhinos (2018: 386) have been poached in South Africa. From January 2019 to June 2019, 122 alleged poachers were arrested within the Kruger National Park. Nationally, 253 arrests were effected in the first half of 2019 in respect of both rhino poaching and rhino horn trafficking. A total of 61 firearms were recovered during operations in the the Kruger National Park in this period.

South Africa released rhino & elephant poaching statistics for 2017!

South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has finally released the rhino poaching numbers for 2017. According to the DEA, a total of (at least) 1028 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2017 (2016: 1054). Out of the 1028 rhinos poached, 504 rhinos (2016: 662) got illegally killed by poachers in Kruger National Park.
Whilst there has been a decrease in the number of rhino killed for their horns in the Kruger National Park, the number of rhino poached unfortunately increased in KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West.

A total of (at least) 67 elephants were poached in the Kruger National Park and one was poached in KwaZulu-Natal between 01 January 2017 - 31 December 2017. 

A total of 502 alleged rhino poachers and 16 alleged traffickers were arrested nationally in 2017 bringing the total figure to 518. This also includes 21 "officials" that got arrested due to poaching-related offences. The total number of arrests represents a decrease from 2016 when a total of 680 poachers and traffickers were arrested.
For the Kruger National Park, the number of arrests of alleged poachers stood at 446 in 2017 – this comprises 189 arrested inside the Kruger National Park, and 257 adjacent to the Park. This represents an increase compared to 2016 when a total of 417 were arrested inside and adjacent to the Kruger National Park. A total of 220 weapons were seized in rhino-related incidents both inside and outside the Kruger National Park in 2017.

South Africa finally released rhino poaching statistics for 2016!

South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has finally released the rhino poaching numbers for 2016. According to the DEA, a total of (at least) 1054 rhino were poached in South Africa in 2016 (2015: 1175). Out of the 1054 rhinos poached, 662 rhinos (2015: 826) got illegally killed by poachers in Kruger National Park.
For 2016 there were a staggering 2883 instances of poaching-related activities (such as poaching camps, contacts, crossings, sightings, tracks and shots fired) in Kruger National Park, compared to 2466 recorded in the same period in 2015. This is an increase of 16.9%.
46 elephants were poached in the Kruger National Park in 2016.
During 2016, the South African Police Service (SAPS) reported that a total of 680 poachers and traffickers were arrested for rhino-related poaching offences nationally. This is a marked increase in arrests from 317 in 2015. From the total number of arrests made, 417 were both within and outside the Kruger National Park. A total of 148 firearms were seized inside the park in 2016, and six just outside the Park.

During September 2016, a rhino survey using the scientifically accepted block count method recorded that a total of 6 649 - 7 830 white rhino lived in Kruger National Park. This is lower than the 8 365 - 9 337 that lived in Kruger National Park during 2015. It must be noted that the natural deaths of white rhino increased due to the unprecedented drought conditions.
A total of 349 – 465 black rhino lived in Kruger National Park in 2016 compared to 313 – 453 in 2015. The drought effect was not as noticeable on the black rhinos.

Al Jazeera: South African minister linked to illegal rhino horn trade! (Video)

According to an exclusive report by the Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit, South Africa's Minister of State Security David Mahlobo is involved in illegal rhino horn trade. The reporters also discovered that members of the Chinese President's delegation went on an illegal spending spree in South Africa to buy ivory and rhino horn and smuggled the products back to China. 

South Africa: 1175 rhinos killed by poachers in 2015!

According to South Africa's Environmental Affairs Minister Ednah Molewa, a total of 1175 rhinos got killed by poachers in South Africa in 2015. Of these, 826 were poached in the Kruger National Park. To put this into context: South Africa lost 333 rhinos to illegal poaching in 2010, 448 rhinos in 2011, 668 rhinos in 2012, 1004 rhinos in 2013 and 1215 rhinos in 2014.
During 2015, a total of 317 poachers were arrested for rhino poaching related offences in South Africa. Of these, 202 were arrested in the Kruger National Park and 115 in the area adjacent to Kruger. This is a marked increase in arrests from 258 in 2014. A total of 125 firearms were seized inside the Kruger National Park in 2015, and 63 just outside the Park – a total of 188 compared to the 148 in 2014.

According to a new census of the rhino population conducted by South African National Parks (SANParks) in 2015, Kruger National Park is home to between approximately 8 400 to 9 300 white rhinos.

Kruger National Park: Stricter movement control for the welfare of rhino

South African National Parks (SANParks) has installed three boom gates on access roads into an area designated as the Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) in Kruger National Park (KNP). The IPZ, located north of the Sabie River, is a portion where a combination of resources and technology provide a more secure environment for the rhino in Kruger. The boom gates will be manned by the Rangers and will be operational effectively from 05 June 2015. The IPZ barriers are meant to control night movement of people in order to minimize risk factors associated with late travelling between sunset and sunrise. They are found on:

• H1-2 road north-east of the Sand River low water bridge
• H12 road – on the Sabie high level bridge
• H10 between Lower Sabie and Tshokwane