Rhino poaching in South Africa fell 16% in 2025, but the number of killings in Kruger National Park doubled to 175. This surge coincides with a sharp drop in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, attributed to a dehorning operation. Officials link the shift to poachers dispersing from areas with enhanced security.
South Africa's rhino poaching incidents decreased by 16% in 2025, with 352 rhinos killed nationwide compared to 420 in 2024, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). However, the trend varied by region. In Kruger National Park, a two-million-hectare reserve, poachers killed 175 rhinos, nearly double the 88 from the previous year.
In contrast, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal saw a dramatic reduction, with 97 rhinos poached in 2025 down from 232 in 2024 and 325 in 2023. This 96,000-hectare park, where white rhinos were once rescued from extinction, implemented a mass dehorning operation starting in April 2024. Conservation officials credit this, along with security cameras and other interventions, for displacing poachers.
A conservation source in KwaZulu-Natal explained the pattern: “Once conditions become less favourable to poachers in one area, such as Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, they disperse somewhere else instead. That’s the reality.” SANParks spokesperson Reynold Thakuli declined to comment on the Kruger increase on 10 February, referring queries to the DFFE.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp attributed the national decline to “dedication and tactical, swift coordination.” Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife highlighted collaboration through the Integrated Wildlife Zones Programme with partners like WWF and Save the Rhino International, plus advanced cameras, sensors, and polygraphing of staff. Of the 2025 total, 266 rhinos were killed in state or provincial parks and 86 on private land. Additional poaching occurred in Limpopo (36) and North West (21).
Aucamp noted international efforts, including South Africa's receipt of the Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence Award for combating wildlife trafficking.