A total of 201 rhinos have been poached since the beginning of the year, the department of environmental affairs said on Monday.
In the Kruger National Park alone, 127 rhinos were illegally killed, spokesman Albi Modise said in a statement.
“Government views the poaching of this national treasure in a very serious light and continues to prioritise our fight against this crime through co-ordinated, joint efforts,” he said.
Twenty-nine rhinos were poached in Limpopo, 22 in KwaZulu-Natal and 19 in North West.
A total of 165 poachers were arrested in the same period, 67 of them in the Kruger National Park.
Modise appealed to the public to report rhino poaching or any information that could lead to arrests. - Sapa