Poaching and the illegal horn trade have declined in recent years but remain a serious threat to rhino survival, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said on Monday.
The Switzerland-based organization said 2,707 rhinos were poached in Africa between 2018 and 2021, 90 percent of which were killed in South Africa, mostly in Kruger National Park.
South Africa is home to almost 80 percent of the world’s rhinos.
“Rates of rhino poaching in Africa have continued to decline from a peak of 5.3 percent of the total population in 2015 to 2.3 percent in 2021,” said a report.
“The overall decline in rhino poaching is encouraging, but it remains an acute threat to the survival of these iconic animals,” said Sam Ferreira, Scientific Director of the IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group.
The IUCN said 2020 was an anomalous year for rhino poaching with Covid restrictions and restrictions on trade and movement.
“Due to global lockdowns and restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, several African countries saw poaching rates fall dramatically in 2020 compared to previous years.
“South Africa lost 394 rhinos to poaching in 2020, while Kenya recorded no rhino poaching that year. However, as COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, some range states reported a fresh surge in poaching activity — for example, South Africa reported 451 and Kenya reported six poached rhinos in 2021,” it said.
“These numbers are still significantly lower than during the peak in 2015, when South Africa alone lost 1,175 rhinos to poaching.”
The population of rhinos in Africa has declined 1.6 percent annually, from 23,562 in 2018 to 22,137 at the end of last year.
The IUCN said the number of white rhinos – which it classifies as Vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species – fell by nearly 12 percent from 18,067 to 15,942 during that period.
But the number of black rhinos classified by the body as critically endangered rose 12 percent to 6,195.
“To support growth in rhino numbers, it is important to continue active population management and anti-poaching activities for all subspecies in different range states,” said the IUCN.
In addition to the decline in poaching, data analyzed by range and consumer states suggest that an average of between 575 and 923 rhino horns entered illegal trade markets each year between 2018 and 2020, compared with about 2,378 each year between 2016 and 2017.
– 2020 an ‘abnormal’ year –
However, in 2019, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the reported confiscated weight of illegal rhino specimens hit a decade-high, possibly due to increased regulations and law enforcement efforts.
“2020 was an abnormal year with low levels of reported illegal activity, law enforcement and government reporting,” said Sabri Zain, TRAFFIC Director of Policy.
The IUCN said the numbers of the one-horned rhino, found mainly in India and Nepal, and the critically endangered Javan rhino have increased since 2017.
“Thanks to conservation efforts, including increased law enforcement, the number of great unicorn rhinos in India and Nepal increased from an estimated 3,588 in 2018 to 4,014 by the end of 2021, while the overall population of Javan rhino increased from 65 to 68 individuals in 2018 to 76 by the end of 2021 “, it was said.
However, Sumatran rhino numbers fell to an estimated 34 from 47 in 2021, compared to 40 to 78 individuals in 2018.
The IUCN classifies the Sumatran rhino, the smallest of all rhino species, as critically endangered.
The World Wide Fund for Nature estimates that there are fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos worldwide, mostly on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Borneo.
According to the IUCN report, since the beginning of 2018, 11 cases of rhino poaching — 10 in India and one in Nepal — have been recorded in Asia, all involving unicorn rhinos.
“Locating carcasses in dense rainforests remains a challenge and there have been no reports of illegal killings of Sumatran rhinos, despite significant population declines,” she added.
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