CONSERVATION UPDATE FROM AFRICA

The Plight of Cheetah Worsens

A recent report on global cheetah decline provides alarming reading. Using the best available information, researchers estimate that there are only about 7,100 wild cheetah left in the world. Read more here - https://theconversation.com/wake-up-call-for-the-world-as-the-plight-of-cheetahs-worsens-71088

State of the Rhino 2025: Global Populations Face Mixed Fortunes

The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) has released its State of the Rhino 2025 report, revealing a complex landscape for the world’s five rhino species. While some populations are showing remarkable resilience, others face an "extinction crisis" driven by targeted poaching and habitat loss.

The total global rhino population now stands at approximately 26,700, a modest increase of about 430 animals since 2022.

The Global Tally: Winners and Losers

The report highlights a stark contrast between recovering populations in Africa and India and a dire situation in Indonesia.

Species	Status	2025 Estimate	Trend
White Rhino	Near Threatened	15,752	Decreasing (Down from 17,464 in 2023)
Black Rhino	Critically Endangered	6,788	Increasing (Up 5.2% since 2023)
Greater One-Horned	Vulnerable	4,075	Increasing (Recovering in India & Nepal)
Javan Rhino	Critically Endangered	~50	Decreasing (Lost 33% to poaching since 2021)
Sumatran Rhino	Critically Endangered	34–47	Stable/Imperiled (Tiny, isolated groups)

Africa: Success Overshadowed by South African Poaching

Africa remains the primary stronghold for rhinos, yet it is also the primary battlefield.

• The Good News: Black rhino numbers are climbing steadily thanks to intensive management.

• The Bad News: White rhinos saw a significant drop in late 2024. South Africa, home to the majority of the world's rhinos, accounts for over 81% of all poaching incidents.

• Genetic Risks: Many South African populations are now so small (median sizes of 7–11) that they may no longer be genetically viable without intervention.

As of 2025 and moving into 2026, the status of African elephants is a tale of two different species and two different regions. While improved survey technology has revealed higher numbers for some populations, others remain in a fragile state due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

Current Population Estimates (2025–2026)

Scientists now categorize African elephants into two distinct species. Recent DNA-based census data from 2025 has significantly updated our understanding of their numbers:

Species	Status	2025/2026 Population Estimate	Key Trend
Savanna Elephant	Endangered	~415,000	Stable to Increasing in Southern/East Africa.
Forest Elephant	Critically Endangered	~145,000	Higher than previous estimates due to better DNA counting.

• Savanna Elephants: Southern Africa remains the stronghold, with Botswana hosting the world's largest population (~130,000). Kenya reported a major success in 2025, with its population growing to 41,952, up from 36,280 in 2021.

• Forest Elephants: A landmark December 2025 report revealed there are roughly 145,000 forest elephants. This 16% "increase" from previous years is not due to population growth, but rather DNA-based survey techniques that allowed researchers to find "hidden" populations in dense rainforests. Gabon alone hosts 66% of this species.

Conservation Successes and Emerging Threats

The Successes

• Declining Poaching: Continent-wide, ivory poaching has trended downward since its peak in 2011. Countries like Tanzania and Zimbabwe have reported stable or increasing populations due to aggressive anti-poaching measures.

• Community Coexistence: Modern conservation has moved away from "fortress" models (fences) toward community-led protection. In 2025, initiatives like beehive fences and chili smoke bricks became standard tools for local "Wildlife Warriors" to deter elephants from crops without harm.

The Challenges

• Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC): As populations in countries like South Africa and Kenya grow, they are expanding into human territories. This has led to a rise in crop-raiding and retaliatory killings, which is now considered a greater threat than poaching in some regions.

• Habitat Fragmentation: Infrastructure projects—including new roads and mines in the Congo Basin—are cutting off ancient migratory corridors, isolating herds and reducing genetic diversity.

• Reproductive Lag: Forest elephants reproduce extremely slowly. Conservationists warn that even with zero poaching, these populations take decades to recover from past losses.