Importance of private and communal lands to sustainable conservation of Africa's rhinoceroses

A new path for rhinoceros (rhino) conservation is needed. Recent data signal the alarming impact of poaching on populations in Africa's rhino stronghold, the state-run Kruger National Park (South Africa), which today supports one quarter the rhinos than a decade ago. We aggregated African rhino population data, highlighting the growing role of private and community rhino custodians, who likely now conserve >50% of Africa's rhinos. Their contribution has been enabled by a supportive policy and economic environment, but this arrangement is becoming more difficult to sustain as costs associated with protecting rhinos skyrocket and revenue-generating options become insufficient. Some privately held rhino populations are small or intensively managed, raising questions about their conservation value. As the role of private and community custodianship becomes increasingly central to the protection of Africa's remaining rhinos, its resilience must be strengthened through implementation of adaptive policies that incentivize rhino conservation. We outline policy pathways to provide an enabling environment for rhino conservation beyond state parks.

Automated summary

A new approach is required to address the conservation of rhinos. Recent data shows the alarming decline of rhino populations in South Africa's Kruger National Park due to poaching. Private and community rhino custodians have now become major contributors, conserving over 50% of Africa's rhinos. However, the rising costs of protection and inadequate revenue generation pose challenges to sustaining this arrangement. Policy pathways are needed to incentivize rhino conservation and strengthen the resilience of private and community custodianship.