Rhino poachers have turned their attention to South Africa’s oldest state-run nature reserve where they killed 307 of the endangered animals last year.
The shift to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province comes as the illegal hunters shift south from the Kruger National Park where years of poaching has decimated rhino numbers and drawn a stronger response from the state.
In 2023, 406 rhinos were killed on state properties and 93 on privately owned parks, reserves and farms, South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said in a statement.
“The pressure again has been felt in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province with Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park facing the brunt of poaching cases,” environment minister Barbara Creecy said.
“While KZN recorded 49 arrests and 13 firearms seized, multidisciplinary teams continue to work tirelessly in an attempt to slow this relentless pressure.”
Kruger National Park recorded a 37% decrease from 2022 with 78 rhinos poached in 2023. No rhinos were poached in any other national parks.
Rhino poaching often involves international criminal syndicates which rely on the help of local poachers and collude with park rangers.
South Africa’s Environment Ministry said last year it was increasing health care, training and counseling services for rangers to discourage them from assisting the poachers.