SOUTH AFRICA: African Rhino Poaching Crisis

Rhino poaching has increased dramatically in the last few years, with hundreds killed each year for their horns.

Fueled by demand from Asian medicine market
Although there is no scientific proof of its medical value, rhino horn is highly prized in traditional Asian medicine, where it is ground into a fine powder or manufactured into tablets as a treatment for a variety of illnesses such as nosebleeds, strokes, convulsions, and fevers.

Organized poaching gangs
This demand has created highly profitable and organized international poaching criminal syndicates who deploy advanced technologies ranging from night vision scopes, silenced weapons, darting equipment and helicopters to carry out their mission.

According to Dr Joseph Okori, head of WWF's African Rhino Programme:

"The African rhino is under serious threat from poachers who have intensified their search of rhino for their horns since 2007, driven by growing market demands in Asia."
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“The rhino poaching trend is extremely worrying. If it is not stopped, the world could lose African rhinos. This is a tragedy we do not want to contemplate.”

Dr Joseph Okori, Head of WWF’s African Rhino Programme

Hundreds of rhinos poached each year
Thanks to successful conservation efforts, Southern Africa is now home to the majority of Africa's surviving rhinos.

Even so, South Africa – home to more than 80% of Africa’s rhino populations – is losing hundreds of rhinos each year. In this country alone:

122 rhinos were killed in 2009
333 rhinos were killed in 2010
388 rhinos have been killed so far in 20121

Continued action needed
Although both black and white rhino populations are growing healthily overall, some subspecies are still listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Continued poaching could see Africa’s rhinos slide over the brink, into extinction.