Rhino poaching drops significantly during COVID-19 lockdown

• News & Highlights

The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that South Africa has experienced a significant decline in rhino poaching since the lockdown commenced.

April 2020 saw a marked decrease in rhino poaching countrywide, with the fewest rhinos poached in the Kruger National Park in a single month since September 2013.

“This could be attributed to the reduction in rhino poaching activities to the disruption of the supply chain resulting from the national travel restrictions, including limitations placed on movement across the country,” explained Minister Creecy.

A total of 14 rhino were poached across the country during April – the first month of the national Covid-19 lockdown. A total of 46 rhino were poached nationwide in March 2020. 

“We believe that the closure of our borders and the complete shutdown of international air travel removed the key way that syndicates used to supply horn to transit and consumer countries,” said Minister Creecy.

In the Kruger National Park five rhino were poached during April 2020, compared to 46 in April 2019.   In KwaZulu-Natal six rhino were poached, two were killed in Mpumalanga and one in North West Province. In April 2019, a total of 61 rhino were poached nationwide.