Victoria Falls Rainforest temporarily closed after elephant activity

Update (21 July 2026): The Victoria Falls Rainforest has reopened to visitors after a temporary precautionary closure earlier today. According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), the closure lasted around 2½ hours while wildlife teams safely guided two elephants—rather than the single animal initially reported—out of the rainforest and away from the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area has since been inspected, declared safe and normal visitor access has resumed. ZimParks is also repairing sections of the rainforest that were damaged during the incident to ensure the continued safety and enjoyment of visitors. 

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Travellers visiting Victoria Falls should be aware that access to the Victoria Falls Rainforest has been temporarily restricted following reports of an elephant active in the area. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) announced the precautionary closure on 21 July 2026 to ensure the safety of visitors, staff and wildlife.

The Victoria Falls Rainforest is one of the highlights of a visit to the Zimbabwean side of the falls. Located within Victoria Falls National Park, the rainforest lies in the permanent spray zone created by the Zambezi River as it plunges over the falls. The result is a unique green environment with lush vegetation, impressive viewpoints and a cooler, mist-filled atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the surrounding dry woodland.

Wildlife encounters are part of the experience at Victoria Falls, and elephants occasionally move through areas around the falls. ZimParks teams are currently monitoring the situation and will reopen access once it is considered safe for visitors.

Travellers and tour operators are advised not to enter restricted areas, approach the elephant or interfere with wildlife management activities. Anyone planning to visit Victoria Falls should check the latest local updates with their accommodation or tour operator before heading to the rainforest.

The temporary closure only affects access to the rainforest area. Victoria Falls remains one of Southern Africa’s most spectacular natural attractions, with viewpoints, activities and other visitor experiences available in the surrounding area.

 

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South Africa releases Q1 2025 rhino poaching report!

South Africa's Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr. Dion George, has released the official rhino poaching statistics for the first quarter of 2025. Between 01 January and 31 March 2025, a total of 103 rhinos were poached across the country - an average of 34.33 rhinos per month. This number is consistent with the previous 12-month average of 35 rhinos per month (or 420 annually), highlighting the continued threat to South Africa's rhino population.

Dr. George emphasized the urgent need for increased anti-poaching efforts:

“The South African government remains unwavering in its fight against wildlife crime. We are enhancing ranger patrols, expanding the use of surveillance technologies, and working with both national and international law enforcement agencies. This includes the deployment of advanced tools like drones and thermal radars. Furthermore, we are collaborating with communities near protected areas to support sustainable livelihoods and reduce the drivers behind poaching.”

Rhino poaching statistics by province – Q1 2025:

• Kruger National Park (SANParks): 65 rhinos
• KwaZulu-Natal: 16 rhinos
• Limpopo: 10 rhinos
• Free State: 5 rhinos
• North West: 4 rhinos
• Mpumalanga: 3 rhinos
• Eastern Cape: 0 rhinos
• Northern Cape: 0 rhinos
• Western Cape: 0 rhinos
• Gauteng: 0 rhinos

Significant progress has been made in addressing rhino-related crime in South Africa. Between January and March 2025, 15 suspects were arrested in connection with rhino poaching activities. Additionally, five cases were finalized in court, demonstrating the government's ongoing commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and strengthening prosecution outcomes.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

According to Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MET), the country has lost 23 rhinos and two elephants to poaching since the beginning of 2020. A total of 46 rhinos and 13 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 is home to the largest population of black rhino of the subspecies Diceros bicornis bicornis in the world. Approximately 93% of the total population of this taxon are found in the country (as of 31 December 2020). 

 

Namibia hosts a third of the entire remaining population of back rhino on the planet and the second largest white rhino population in the world after South Africa. The country also has the largest population of black rhinos in protected areas and the largest free roaming black rhino population in the world.  
Between 2012 and 2018, the black rhino (diceros bicornis) population across Africa has grown at a modest annual rate of 2.5% from an estimated 4,845 to 5,630 animals in the wild, respectively.

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.

Namibia: New poaching figures!

According to the spokesperson of Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry & Tourism (MET), Romeo Muyunda, the number of poaching cases between January 2020 and May 2020 has dropped by 50% compared to the same period last year. Namibia has lost 13 animals to illegal poaching since January 2020, while the country recorded 26 poaching cases during the first five months of 2019.
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.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

According to Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MET), the country has lost eleven rhinos and one elephant to poaching since the beginning of 2020. The poaching took place in Etosha National Park as welll as inside private owned farms.
A total of 45 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.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

According to Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the country has lost nine rhinos and one elephant to poaching since the beginning of 2020. The poaching took place inside private owned farms and in Namibia's National Parks.
A total of 45 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.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures! [update]

update (24 July 2019): According to Namibia's "Allgemeine Zeitung", two poached rhinos have been discovered in Etosha National Park. This brings the number of illegally killed rhinos to 23 in 2019, while a total of eight elephants have been poached since January 2019.

According to the latest poaching statistics by Namibia's Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), the country has lost 19 rhinos and 7 elephants to illegal poaching since the beginning of 2019. In May 2019, the MET recorded 18 incidents in which eight animals were killed. Most poaching incidents took place on private and custodian farms. Six poaching incidents were recorded in Etosha National Park and Waterberg Plateau Park. In 2018, a total of 57 rhinos and 26 elephants were poached in Namibia while a total of 120 suspected poachers were arrested.

Namibia: New rhino poaching figures!

According to the latest poaching statistics by Namibia's Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Namibia has recorded only three cases of rhino poaching this year so far. By October 2017, 27 rhinos were poached in Namibia compared to 60 in 2016 and 95 in 2015 – while 20 elephants were poached since January 2017 compared to 101 in 2016 and 49 in 2015.Namibia's Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, said in a statement last week that the aim for 2018 is to reduce poaching cases in the country by more than 50 percent.

Namibia has the second largest population of rhino in the world estimated at 2,800 by the end of 2016, while the elephant population in the country is just over 22,000 animals.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

According to the latest poaching statistics by Namibia's Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), the country has lost (at least) 27 rhinos and 20 elephants to illegal poaching activities since January 2017. Namibian authorities have so far arrested 75 people for illegal hunting and possession of either rhino horns or elephant tusks in 2017. A total of 30 rhino horns, 103 elephant tusks and 69 pieces of elephant tusk have also been recovered.

Namibia has the second largest population of rhino in the world estimated at 2,800 by the end of 2016, while the elephant population in the country is just over 22,000 animals.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

According to the deputy director of Wildlife and National Parks in the Central Regions Johnson Ndokosho, Namibia has lost (at least) 18 rhinos and 17 elephants to illegal poaching since the beginning of 2017. A total of (at least) 241 rhinos were killed by poachers since 2012; at least 245 elephants were poached since 2014.

Namibia has the second largest population of rhino in the world estimated at 2,800 by the end of 2016, while the elephant population in the country is just over 22,000 animals.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

update (03 Aug 2017): Two illegally killed rhino carcasses – that of a cow and a calf- were discovered in the Etosha National Park on Tuesday (01 Aug 2017) morning.

According to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Namibia has lost at least 16 rhinos and 16 elephants to illegal poaching since January 2017. Out of the 16 rhinos killed by poachers, seven rhinos have recently (23 June - 25 June 2017 been discovered during aerial patrols in the country's famous Etosha National Park. 

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Namibia offers rewards of N$60 000 for information that lead to the arrest and prosecution of rhino poachers.

Pretoria: Rietvlei Nature Reserve introduced a male cheetah after a two year absence!

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve, situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria, has introduced a new male cheetah into its 3 800ha reserve after a two year absence in order to regulate the prey population in the reserve. The reserve was left without cheetah after the two male cheetah, which got reintroduced into Rietvlei in March 2003, died in 2012 and 2013 from old age. Rietvlei Game Reserve and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) are currently also searching for a female cheetah to join the new male. This should happen by early 2015. Rietvlei Nature Reserve forms part of EWT's Cheetah Metapopulation Project.



Rietvlei Nature Reserve, owned and managed by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is situated 18km from the centre of Pretoria and 38km from the OR Tambo International Airport. Located within the reserve is the Rietvlei Dam. The reserve is home to blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, Burchell's zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbuck, grey duiker, as well as to cheetah, leopard, buffalo, hippopotamus and white rhino.