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South Africa has reported a significant victory against rhino poaching in 2025, with national figures reflecting a 16% decline. Leading the charge is KwaZulu-Natal, where poaching losses at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) dwindled by 68%. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (Ezemvelo) welcomed the encouraging 2025 national rhino poaching statistics, crediting Minister Willie Aucamp’s statement on anti-poaching progress. Rhino losses in the HiP notably dropped by 68% (from 198 in 2024 to 63 in 2025), reflecting a province-wide decrease from 232 to 97 total losses.

Three suspects are expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court in the Free State on charges of possession of endangered species The suspects, aged 31, 35, and 36, are from Kuruman. The provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Sinah Mpakane, said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday, February 10.

Despite a modest 16% decline in rhino killings countrywide during 2025, the number of these animals poached in Kruger National Park has doubled compared with the previous year. Significantly, the dramatic surge in rhino poaching in Kruger was mirrored by an equally significant drop in killing rates in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal, which has been a poaching hotspot for several years.

Accused rhino poacher and former regional ranger Rodney Landela - once heralded as the "Crown Prince of the Kruger" - insists he was framed. The former Kruger regional ranger, tipped for a top post at the national park before his arrest, has testified that a wildlife observation mission went disastrously wrong in the Kingfisherspruit section of the Kruger National Park on 27 July 2016. Landela, alongside former state veterinary technician Kenneth Muchocho are accused of killing a white rhino early that morning.

South Africa's anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts have yielded a 16% overall decline in rhino poaching last year when compared to 2024. This is according to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, who attributes the decline to dedication and tactical, swift coordination. "From January to December 2025, 352 rhinos were poached in South Africa, with 266 being killed on State property and 86 on privately owned parks, reserves or farms. This was a decrease of 68 in comparison to 420 rhinos poached in 2024," the Minister said on Tuesday in a…

Thai wildlife authorities have arrested a Vietnamese man at Suvarnabhumi Airport and seized 11.75 kilograms of rhino horn, disrupting a transnational wildlife trafficking operation that used Thailand as a transit point en route to Laos. Sadudee Phanphakdee, director of the Office of Wildlife and Plant Protection under the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said the arrest followed joint operations with C.I.Q. agencies and the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division police to curb cross-border wildlife trafficking.

The Game Rangers Association of Africa is calling on governments, funders and conservation groups to lend more support to wildlife rangers across the continent following an increasing number of attacks involving armed militia groups. Game rangers in many parts of Africa say they are facing some of the most challenging times in decades, partly due to the increasing presence of armed militias, along with illegal miners, loggers and bushmeat hunters.

On 03 February 2026, SANParks received information regarding the presence of approximately 20 suspected abalone poachers operating within the Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area along the Otter Trail. SANParks Rangers responded through various operations from 03 to 05 February 2026. On 03 February 2026 fresh abalone shells were found, which confirmed that illegal harvesting had taken place. On 05 February 2026 teams tracked the suspects to an area where they had been residing in Covie. The suspects attempted to flee when approached.

A suspected poacher was fatally wounded and a high-calibre rifle recovered during two separate anti-poaching incidents involving rangers in the Kruger National Park this week. SANParks Head of Communications and spokesperson JP Louw said the incidents underscored the risks faced by rangers in their fight against wildlife crime.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism is facing a funding shortfall of approximately N$165 million, raising concerns about the sustainability of conservation. The funding constraints are outlined in the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources' final report on a capacity-building workshop with stakeholders held at Swakopmund, which was tabled before the eighth National Assembly. For the 2025/26 financial year, the ministry has been allocated a total budget of N$797 million.

In a relentless fight against illicit wildlife crime including rhino poaching, South African National Parks (SANParks) confirms two recent anti-poaching incidents in the Kruger National Park, underscoring the bravery of our rangers. Rangers came into contact with suspected poachers. on Thursday, 5 February 2026 at the Malelane section of the park, while no arrests were made, a high-caliber rifle and bags were recovered at the scene. The seizure of these items represents a significant disruption to poaching activities.

A total of 40 rhinos were poached last year in Namibia, while four elephants were killed, marking a significant decline compared with previous years. The poaching figures were confirmed by Bennett Kahuure, director of wildlife and national parks. He said that so far this year only one rhino poaching case has been reported, with no elephant poaching incidents recorded. "Overall, there has been a decline in poaching numbers over the past few years," Kahuure said. In 2024, Namibia recorded 81 rhino deaths at the hands of poachers.

Namibia's longstanding prohibition on the export of raw and unprocessed timber is aimed at curbing environmental degradation, creating local jobs and ensuring that the country derives greater economic value from its forest resources, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has confirmed. In an interview with Namibian Sun, the ministry's chief forester, Jonas Mwiikinghi, said the ban is enforced through forest regulations that restrict timber exports unless the products have been processed or semi-processed to prescribed standards and size limits.

The Supreme Court of Appeal has been asked to untangle a complex knot of legal questions that have emerged in a controversial court case about rhino horn trading. The ruling opens the door for South African rhino breeders to sell their horns internationally - despite a 50-year ban on such sales. Northern Cape rhino breeder and hunting lodge owner Hendrick "Wicus" Diedericks will have to delay his plan to sell rhino horns to foreign buyers, despite winning two court cases that pave the pathway towards this goal.

The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Tom R. Butiime, has warned that Uganda risks losing vital medicinal and aromatic plant species due to overexploitation, habitat destruction and weak regulation, threatening healthcare systems, cultural heritage and rural livelihoods. Butiime made the remarks in Kampala as Uganda prepares to mark United Nations World Wildlife Day on March 3, 2026, amid growing concern over the unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants from the wild.

Three suspects were arrested in Garies on Monday, 2 February 2026 at approximately 22:00 on the N7 road for being illegally in possession of protected species in Contravention of the Northern Cape Nature Conservation Act 9/2009, Sections 3 and 4. The suspects aged, 21, 29 and 37 were apprehended following a high-speed pursuit after they failed to stop when directed by police officials.