The number of rhinos rose on the African continent in 2022, conservationists said on Thursday, welcoming this “good news” for this animal threatened by intense poaching.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 23,290 rhinos populated the continent at the end of last year, an increase of 5.2% compared to 2021.
“With this good news, we can breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in ten years,” said Michael Knight, Chair of the African Rhino Group at the IUCN.
The IUCN has compiled estimates of rhino numbers in different countries to determine the continental number.
She attributed the 4.2% increase in the number of black rhinos, or 6,487 individuals, to “a combination of conservation and biological management initiatives.”
The number of white rhinos rose 5.6% to 16,803, the first population increase since 2012.
The rhino population has been decimated by decades of demand-driven poaching in Asian countries, where their horns are used in traditional medicine for their supposed therapeutic effects.
According to the IUCN, more than 550 animals were killed by poachers on the continent in 2022, mostly in South Africa.
Almost 80% of the world’s rhinos live in this country. When hunting for horns, poachers are increasingly targeting private reserves.
They are highly sought after on the black market, where the price per weight is comparable to that of gold and cocaine and is estimated at $60,000 per kilo.