Rhino poaching toll in South Africa falls 10 percent in 2016

Black rhinos, one of the world's endangered animals, are seen at a farm outside Klerksdorp, in the north west province, South Africa, February 24, 2016.REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The number of rhinos poached for their horns in South Africa fell 10 percent in 2016 to 1,054, the second straight year of decline according to government data released on Monday, but conservationists said the levels remain alarming.

Rhino poaching rates in South Africa had surged from 83 in 2008 to a record 1,215 in 2014 to meet red-hot demand in newly-affluent Asian countries such as Vietnam, where the horn is prized as a key ingredient in traditional medicines.