Despite declining national rhino poaching statistics, KwaZulu-Natal is becoming a new hotspot for these illegal activities. The Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, in particular, is seeing a surge in poaching incidents, with rhino horns being targeted by poachers at an alarming rate. This was according to forestry, fisheries and the environment minister Barbara Creecy, who also revealed that in the first six months of 2023, 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa. This, Creecy said, represents a decline of 28 animals killed for their horn compared to the same period last year. However, she noted that the numbers demonstrated a persistent pattern of poaching shifting from the Kruger National Park to the KwaZulu-Natal reserves.