Cape Town - Threats to African rhinos from transnational crime networks remain high, despite the reported pause during the Covid-19 lockdown periods. This is according to the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group's (AfRSG) updated information on rhino populations. At a continental scale, the threat of illegal wildlife trade in rhino horn to African rhinos has declined to 2.3% poaching rate of the total population from the peak in 2015, at 5.3%. Encouragingly, between 2018 and 2021, overall numbers of the critically endangered black rhino increased at a rate of 3% per annum to 6 200 animals. Of ongoing concern, however, is that white rhino numbers have continued to decline at about 3.1% per year, and numbered just below 16 000 animals at the end of last year. The declining white rhino populations predominantly occur in the large state-managed protected areas in South Africa.