SA has lost 103 rhino to poachers in the first three months of the year, environment minister Dion George disclosed on Monday. This equates to an average of 34.33 rhinos per month, aligned with the average monthly poaching rate of 35 rhinos over the 12 months before (420 rhinos annually). "This underscores the sustained pressure on our rhino populations and the urgent need for intensified efforts to combat the illegal activity," George said. SANParks recorded the highest number of losses with 65 rhinos poached. KwaZulu-Natal reported 16 cases followed by Limpopo with 10, Free State with five, North West with four and Mpumalanga with three. No rhinos were poached in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape or Gauteng during this period. "The loss of the rhinos to poaching is a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife," George said. "Yet the absence of poaching in four provinces shows our targeted interventions are yielding results, and we must build on the progress."