Swiss-based organisation reports some ‘good news’ for endangered rhinos
Rhinos are poached intensively for their horns.
Keystone / Daniel Irungu
The number of rhinos on the African continent increased in 2022, the first good news in ten years for this animal threatened by intensive poaching, says the Geneva-based International Union for Conservation of Nature.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone/SDA
According to the IUCN, there were 23,290 rhinos on 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, who chairs the IUCN’s African Rhino Specialist Group. The organisation has compiled estimates of the number of rhinos in different countries to obtain the figure for the continent.
Slaughtered for their horn
It attributed the 4.2% increase in the number of black rhinos, or 6,487 individuals, to “a combination of protection and biological management initiatives”.
White rhino numbers rose by 5.6% to 16,803, the first increase in the population since 2012.
The rhino population has been decimated by decades of poaching driven by demand in Asian countries, where their horns are used in traditional medicine for their alleged therapeutic effects. According to the IUCN, more than 550 animals were killed by poachers on the continent in 2022, mainly in South Africa.
South Africa is home to almost 80% of the world’s rhinos. Poachers there are increasingly targeting private reserves in their hunt for horns. The horns are highly sought-after on the black market, where the price by weight rivals that of gold and cocaine, estimated at $60,000 a kilogram.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
Swiss to vote on pension reform and biodiversity in September
This content was published on
Swiss citizens will vote on occupational pension schemes and a biodiversity initiative on September 22, the Federal Council announced on Wednesday.
Ukraine peace talks: 50 countries have confirmed participation
This content was published on
To date, 50 countries out 160 invited delegations have confirmed they will attend the Ukraine peace conference, held in central Switzerland in mid-June, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
Federer-backed On boosts forecast after sneaker demand rises
This content was published on
Swiss footwear company On Holding AG posted strong first-quarter revenue, boosted by demand for its running shoes and new line of training apparel.
Michael Schumacher’s watches fetch CHF4 million at Swiss auction
This content was published on
Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for around CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction house Christie's in Geneva on Tuesday.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Can war crimes be committed against animals?
This content was published on
More than 200 global species, including iconic gorillas, elephants and antelope, have become endangered by wars, conflicts and military exercises.
This content was published on
A white rhinoceros has been born for the first time in Zurich Zoo. Visitors can see the baby girl from June 8, when zoos re-open.
Switzerland opposes proposals to restart trade in rhino horns and ivory
This content was published on
Switzerland will oppose proposals by southern African countries seeking to relax restrictions on the international trade in white rhinoceros.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.