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Media Release: Update on rhino poaching
The latest rhino poaching statistics indicate that a total of 455 rhinos have been lost to illegal killings since the beginning of this year, with the total number of arrests at 207.
The Kruger National Park has lost 272 rhinos to poaching. KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the North West provinces continue to be the hardest hit by poachers, collectively accounting for the loss of 150 rhinos.
Total number of rhinos killed this year:
| SA | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KNP (SANParks) | 146 | 252 | 272 |
| MNP (SANParks) | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| GP | 15 | 9 | 1 |
| LIM | 52 | 74 | 49 |
| MP | 17 | 31 | 20 |
| NW | 57 | 21 | 46 |
| EC | 4 | 11 | 7 |
| FS | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| KZN | 38 | 34 | 55 |
| WC | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| NC | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 333 | 448 | 455 |
179 of the arrested individuals are at the level of poacher, 10 are receivers and 18 are couriers.
Number of arrests:
| SA | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KNP (SANParks) | 51 | 82 | 67 |
| MNP (SANParks) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gauteng (GP) | 26 | 16 | 10 |
| Limpopo (LIM) | 34 | 34 | 36 |
| Mpumalanga (MP) | 57 | 73 | 16 |
| North West (NW) | 21 | 21 | 2 |
| Eastern Cape (EC) | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Free State (FS) | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| KZN | 11 | 4 | 25 |
| Western Cape (WC) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Northern Cape (NC) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 207 | 232 | 165 |
Members of the public are urged to report incidents of rhino poaching or any tip-offs that could lead to arrests and prevention of illegal killings to 0800 205 005
For media queries, contact:
Albi Modise on 083 490 2871
Roopa Singh on 082 225 3076
Issued By
The Department of Environmental Affairs on 16 October 2012