Bontebok National Park Open To The Public Following Flood Damage
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, visited the Bontebok National Park on 29 August 2026, to receive a briefing on...
Media Release: Update on rhino poaching statistics
During 2012, 668 rhino were poached, while 448 were killed in 2011. Since 2008, 2 778 rhino have been poached in South Africa. A total of 37 rhino have been poached since the start of 2014.
During 2013, the Kruger National Park continued to bear the brunt of rhino poaching losing a total of 606 of the iconic animals to poachers. A total of 114 rhino were poached in Limpopo, 92 in Mpumalanga, 87 in North West and 85 in KwaZulu-Natal.
The number of rhino poachers arrested during 2013 increased considerably with 343 being arrested, 133 of them in the Kruger National Park. In 2012, 267 alleged poachers were arrested. Since the beginning of 2014, 6 alleged poachers have been arrested.
South Africans are urged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.
Rhino poaching statistics:
| SA | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KNP (SANParks) | 146 | 252 | 425 | 606 | 34 |
| MNP (SANParks) | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| GP | 15 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| LIM | 52 | 74 | 59 | 114 | 0 |
| MP | 17 | 31 | 28 | 92 | 0 |
| NW | 57 | 21 | 77 | 87 | 0 |
| EC | 4 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| FS | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| KZN | 38 | 34 | 66 | 85 | 3 |
| WC | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| NC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 333 | 448 | 668 | 1004 | 37 |
Rhino poaching arrests statistics :
| SA | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KNP (SANParks) | 6 | 133 | 73 | 82 | 67 |
| MNP (SANParks) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gauteng (GP) | 0 | 10 | 26 | 16 | 10 |
| Mpumalanga (MP) | 0 | 34 | 66 | 73 | 16 |
| Eastern Cape (EC) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Limpopo (LIM) | 0 | 70 | 43 | 34 | 36 |
| North West (NW) | 0 | 26 | 32 | 21 | 2 |
| Free State (FS) | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| KZN | 0 | 63 | 20 | 4 | 25 |
| Western Cape (WC) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Northern Cape (NC) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 6 | 343 | 267 | 232 | 165 |
For media queries, contact:
Albi Modise on 083 490 2871
Issued by:
The Department of Environmental Affairs