"South Africa's Rhino Population Under Threat as Poachers Claim 500 Lives"

South Africa reported a sharp increase in rhino poaching, with almost 500 animals killed in 2023, mostly in state-run parks, driven by demand from Asia for their horns. Conservationists are alarmed and calling for urgent deployment of more resources to tackle poaching rings, particularly in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, where the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi park alone lost 307 animals. While there has been some success in tightening security in certain areas, the poaching crisis continues to threaten the rhino population, despite recent gains in rhino numbers across Africa.