Rhino poachers in Namibia have shifted focus from national parks to custodianship and private farms with both black and white rhinos being the target, an official said. Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) has recorded 33 rhinos poached since the start of the year, of which 24 were black rhinos and nine were white rhinos, said MEFT spokesperson Romeo Muyunda in a statement. This year’s poaching cases include nine black rhinos poached on custodianship farms, 15 black in the Etosha National Park, and another nine white rhinos on private farms, he said, stressing that poaching in national parks has slightly decreased due to strengthened wildlife protection strategies. Namibia recorded 44 rhinos poached in 2021, 42 in 2020, 57 in 2019, 83 in 2018, and 55 in 2017. According to Muyunda, the rhino poaching situation in the country is dynamic and the fight is far from over. "We remain committed to ensuring that poaching of rhinos is significantly reduced if not completely stopped. This, however, requires the involvement of all stakeholders including members of the public by rejecting poaching in our societies," he said