The greater Sabi Sand protected area undertook its first ever dehorning project in May 2022 across Sabie Game Reserve, MalaMala and the Sabi Wildtuin, joining successful efforts throughout the Kruger National Park, Balule, Klaserie, Manyeleti and Thornybush reserves. 

Wild Wonderful World funded a total R355,568.50 for the dehorning of 57 individual rhino on MalaMala & Sabie Game Reserve, which is 29% of the total number of rhino dehorned in the wider project spanning the entire Sabi Sands private game reserve. A massive thank you goes out to the Wild Wonderful World donors who supported this operation - this work could not be done without your generous donations.

In 2021, private game reserves located on the periphery of the Kruger National Park experienced a spike in rhino poaching incidents. The rate of loss was, for the first time, higher than the ecological growth rate of the species, resulting in a decline in the total rhino population of the area. This threshold was a pre-planned marker for a change in policy for the Sabi Sands reserves; actioning the next level of protection by de-horning the known rhino population.

Click here to read the full report.

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Photos by Emma Gatland