Namibia's communities cut rhino poaching by more than half — to the lowest level in over a decade

Namibia recorded 43 rhinos poached in 2025, down from 91 in 2024 — a fall of more than half, and the country's lowest level in over ten years, with early 2026 figures suggesting the trend is holding. WWF Namibia credits the unglamorous coalition that works: local communities and conservancies who benefit from living wildlife, private custodians, anti-poaching teams and government partners, all pulling the same way. The same community model is keeping elephants stable or growing across the Kavango-Zambezi landscape. 'Positive change is possible when people work together,' says WWF Namibia director Juliane Zeidler. 'Namibia's conservation journey is living proof.'

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: community action