Rhino recovery in Tanzania
Accurate at time of publication: 21 September 2026
Issue
In the 1970s, Tanzania was home to around 10,000 black rhinos. However, over the following decades, widespread illegal poaching caused populations to rapidly decline, and the species was nearly lost in country by the 1990s.
Solution
Since then, dedicated conservation efforts have helped the black rhino population in Tanzania to slowly increase in protected areas, including the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary.
Ongoing collaboration between government agencies, conservation organisations and local communities has enabled improved monitoring, anti-poaching measures and habitat management to support continued recovery of the country’s black rhino population.
results
Tanzania recently unveiled the results of its latest (2024-2025) National Wildlife Census, offering one of the most comprehensive pictures yet of the country’s wildlife populations.
Encouragingly, it’s good news for rhinos – total numbers of black rhinos have more than doubled from 142 in 2014 to 285 in 2025.
The wider results paint a cautiously optimistic picture. Several more of Tanzania’s most iconic species, including elephants and buffaloes, are also showing strong signs of recovery with elephant numbers increasing by 46% since 2014.
Less-positive outcomes – including declining populations of some antelopes such as gerenuks – highlight the need for targeted species conservation efforts. Increasing challenges include habitat loss and fragmentation from agricultural expansion, livestock grazing and settlement developments. Moreover, climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and unsustainable use of natural resources place immense pressure on ecosystems.
But while they highlight ongoing challenges, these promising results reflect years of dedication from local Government, WWF, partners and community members to protect and recover wildlife populations in Tanzania.
“Behind every encouraging statistic is a story that will never appear in a graph or statistics. It is the story of a ranger walking long patrols to protect wildlife. A researcher patiently monitoring animal movements over many seasons wet and dry. A village choosing coexistence over conflict. A government investing in protected areas. A young conservation champion planting trees in their community.”
Joan Itanisa, Head of Communications, WWF-Tanzania Country Office
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