In 2023, the fight to protect rhinos showed promising results, with black and white rhino populations on the rise across Africa.

For the first time in over a decade, white rhinos experienced positive population growth. Through a combination of proven strategies and innovative technologies, the International Rhino Foundation and our partners have made significant strides in rhino conservation, thanks to supporters like the El Paso Zoo. Here’s a look at some of those successes.

Bubye Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe
With support from IRF, the Lowveld Rhino Trust has helped to secure the world’s second-largest black rhino population, with 226 individuals inhabiting the Bubye Valley Conservancy. Another extraordinary achievement was that zero rhinos were lost to poaching in 2023, thanks to intensive monitoring and strong management practices.

Livingstone and Sesheke, Zambia
In Zambia, IRF-funded efforts have led to the arrest of multiple poachers, including a notorious rhino trafficker active in Botswana. This success helps protect Zambia’s small, vulnerable rhino populations in Mosi-Oa-Tunya and North Luangwa.

Hlane National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve, Eswatini
Eswatini continues to safeguard its rhinos, with no poaching incidents reported since 2017. IRF funding supports rangers and new recruits who work tirelessly to protect the country’s rhino populations.

Lapalala Game Reserve and Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa
New AI-enabled rhino foot collars are being deployed in South Africa to track rhino behavior and prevent poaching in real time. This innovative technology not only improves rhino monitoring but also provides unprecedented insights into rhino behavior.

Rhinos Return to Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries, India

In an unexpected but exciting development, greater one-horned rhinos have made their return to Assam’s Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries (WLS) for the first time since the 1980s, when poaching drove them to local extinction. Two rhinos entered the area in December 2023, followed by two more several months later.

This return follows the Assam government’s efforts in 2023 to expand Orang National Park by 200 sq km and create a protected corridor linking Orang to Kaziranga National Park, passing through Laokhowa-Burhachapori WLS. The corridor was designed to encourage natural rhino dispersal and enhance gene flow between populations. This milestone marks a significant step in the recovery of the greater one-horned rhino population in Assam.

Growth at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary

The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) in Indonesia is now at full capacity after two successful births in 2023. Housing 10 rhinos, IRF has partnered with Yayasan Badak Indonesia (YABI), Way Kambas National Park, and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry to design and fund the sanctuary’s expansion. This third phase will include five semi-wild enclosures, creating space for five additional rhinos.

Through strategic partnerships, community involvement, and cutting-edge technology, there is renewed hope for the future of rhinos.

Taj – Greater One-horned Rhino at the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Rhinos of the World

Photos
Cover – Rita Willaert, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Top – Greater one-horned rhino, Aardwolf6886, Wikimedia Creative Common
Featured and black rhino – International Rhino Foundation
Graphics at the El Paso Zoo