Conservationists raised the alarm on Tuesday as South Africa reported a sharp increase in rhino poaching, with almost 500 animals killed last year. A wild white rhino is seen at an undisclosed location in the North-West Province of South Africa, on April 2, 2023. The figures paint "a worrying picture", conservation group Save the Rhino International said, calling for more resources to be urgently deployed against poaching rings. The lion's share were poached in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, with the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi park – Africa's oldest reserve – alone losing 307 animals, according to the government. About 15,000 live in South Africa, according to a separate estimate by the International Rhino Foundation.
