South Africa saw a roughly 16% decrease in rhino poaching last year, with 420 rhinos killed compared to 499 the year before, the government said.
320 rhinos were poached on state properties and 100 on private land last year, Environment Minister Dion George said. He attributed the decline partly to a dehorning program in KwaZulu-Natal, the region most affected by poaching.
However, the minister expressed concern about a recent increase in rhino poaching in Kruger National Park, where 88 rhinos were poached last year, up from 78 in 2023, due to its remote and difficult-to-police terrain.
The government is using lie-detector tests on staff in poaching hotspots like Kruger and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi parks as part of its anti-poaching strategy, according to the minister's statement.