PRETORIA – Seven rhinos – two black and five white – were poached over the past four months in the Dinokeng Game Reserve outside Pretoria, and another four were injured.

In the latest incident, a suspected poacher was fatally wounded. This incident occurred on the evening of 12 March. It is said that the reserve’s anti-poaching unit engaged in a follow-up operation after shots were heard. One poacher was fatally wounded, and a firearm and rhino horn were recovered at the scene.

The two accomplices of the deceased are still being sought.

The reserve, a 19 000-hectare conservation area within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a collaboration between 180 landowners, including the Gauteng Provincial Government, and has repeatedly been targeted by poachers from 3 December last year to 13 March this year. It is the only Big Five reserve in a metropolitan area worldwide.

The four rhinos that were injured during this period were treated by a veterinarian and have recovered.

According to a letter to stakeholders, dated 13 March 2026, the anti-poaching unit took action the previous evening when shots were fired.

“Although the loss of yet another rhino is deeply disappointing, we are relieved that decisive action has led to tangible success against the ongoing threat,” said Etienne Toerien, director of Dinokeng Game Enterprises.

Participating in conservation projects

Dinokeng, originally an agricultural landscape, was established in 2011 with a shared vision: to create a sustainable Big Five ecotourism destination that benefits both the environment and local communities.

Despite poaching pressure, the reserve continues to participate in conservation projects, such as the African Parks Rhino Rewild initiative, which recently translocated southern white rhinos to the area. In late 2024, a group of southern white rhinos have been successfully translocated to Dinokeng.

This relocation formed part of African Parks’ Rhino Rewild initiative, an ambitious plan to rewild 2 000 southern white rhinos into secure protected areas across Africa over ten years. The translocation was implemented as a joint initiative between African Parks, Dinokeng Game Reserve, WeWild Africa and the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa.

To aid in the long-term success of this translocation, the rhinos are monitored and protected in accordance with Dinokeng’s security measures. This apparently involves various high-tech and traditional methods of safeguarding, including tracking devices, armed rangers and dog units.

• Details about possible arrests in the latest incident are not yet available. This story will be updated.

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