The number of rhinos is increasing in Africa, good news for this species threatened by poaching

This is an increase of 5.2% compared to the previous year: at the end of 2022, 23,290 rhinos were counted on the African continent, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite everything, the species remains in great danger, the organization recalled Thursday, September 21. The IUCN highlights the benefits of conservation policies for the planet and for the local tourism economy.

In detail, 16,803 white rhinos have been recorded in Africa, according to data compiled by the IUCN. A figure up 5.6%, although their population had not increased since 2012. “With With this good news, we can breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in ten years.”, comments Michael Knight, who chairs the group dedicated to African rhinos at the IUCN. The number of black rhinos is estimated at 6,487, up 4.2%. This increase is linked “to a combination of initiativese protection and biological management”adds the environmental defender.

Rhinos, however, remain in great danger, threatened by poachers who kill them to recover their horns. At least 550 of these animals were illegally killed on the continent last year, including 448 in South Africa, home to almost 80% of the world’s rhino population. According to the IUCN, poachers are increasingly attacking “to private reserves”. And for good reason: rhino horns are highly sought after on the black market, particularly in Asia, where some people attribute therapeutic virtues to them. Their price is estimated at $60,000 per kilo, like gold or cocaine.

IUCN is also delighted with the purchase in 2023 of the largest rhino farm in the world by the NGO African Parks. It was opened in South Africa by a wealthy businessman, John Hume, with the desire to protect them from poaching. But upon resale, he claimed to no longer have the means to take care of this “expensive leisure”. Two thousand white rhinos will be gradually transferred there, which represents around 15% of the global population of this subspecies.