Namibia's registered rhino poaching cases fell from 70 in 2019 to 41 in 2025, a decline of about 41 percent, according to figures circulated this week by the Namibian Chamber of Environment [1]. That is 29 fewer registered cases in a single country over six years.
The numbers come from Namibia's 2025 Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement report [1]. Rhinos are hunted for their horns, and in a population measured in the thousands, each animal lost to poaching matters, so a drop of this size represents real ground held by rangers and enforcement teams.
The improvement is not limited to rhinos. Across the three most affected species, pangolin, rhinoceros, and elephant, the report counts a combined 59 cases in 2025, down from 181 in 2019 [1].
The report does not treat the trend as a finish line. It cautions that it is still too early to celebrate, points to delays in prosecuting wildlife crime, and notes a shift in crime patterns, with some areas seeing more illegal trade in protected plants, reptiles, and insects [1].
Forty-one rhino poaching cases still stand on the 2025 ledger, and the pressure on the animals continues [1]. What the figures show is a threat being pushed down year over year, not one that has been removed.
