It is believed that restrictions on travel and strict lockdown rules have caused the drop, alongside mammoth efforts to slow the rate of poaching using strategies such as anti-poaching units.
In the first six months of 2019, a total of 316 rhinos were lost to poaching in South Africa, compared to 166 in the same period of 2020. As few as 29,000 rhinos remain in the wild.
There is a high demand for rhino horn – which is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails and hair – which is used widely across Asia in traditional medicines and advertised as a cure for diseases such as cancer.
Learn more about wildlife conservation by checking out our solutions pages and learning materials on Goal 15 – Life on Land!
