DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's black rhinoceros population has more than doubled over the past decade, reflecting progress in wildlife conservation efforts, the Tanzania office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the organization, the country's black rhino population increased from 142 in 2014 to 285 in 2025, based on the latest national wildlife census conducted from 2024 to 2025.
The statement noted that Tanzania was home to about 10,000 black rhinos in the 1970s, but widespread poaching led to a sharp decline in their numbers, bringing the species close to extinction in the country by the 1990s.
Joan Itanisa, head of communications at WWF Tanzania, said the recovery reflected years of efforts by the government, conservation partners and communities to protect wildlife and promote coexistence.
However, the organization warned that habitat loss and fragmentation caused by agricultural expansion, livestock grazing and settlement development, as well as climate change, human-wildlife conflict and unsustainable use of natural resources, continue to threaten wildlife.
