At least 70 black rhino have been killed by poachers in Zimbabwe in the past year, highlighting the fact that while the population as a whole is increasing, major threats to its existence remain.

Since 1993, the black rhino population of Africa has undergone a dramatical reversal of fortune with numbers increasing from a low point of 2,300 to over 4000 in 2008.

The 1993 figure was the low point in black rhino conservation with numbers falling around 97% in just 30 years due to poaching for rhino horn which is used in traditional Asian medicine and for making dagger handles in Yemen.

The majority of black rhino now live in two Southern African countries – Namibia and South Africa – where they benefit from relatively stable democracies and well funded and managed wildlife conservation.

Smaller populations are found in Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe and the recent upsurge of poaching in the latter has highlighted the risk to these smaller populations.

In the midst of economic and political turmoil, such as has been seen in Zimbabwe in recent years, wildlife conservation always suffers and the 70 rhino deaths in a local population of less than 300 is a significant loss.

Outside of Namibia and South Africa, Kenya has the next most important black rhino population of around 500 animals and at present they are doing well. However, Kenya has deep rooted political problems demonstrated by last years ethnic riots and killings and a breakdown on the scale of Zimbabwe is not beyond imagination.

So whilst the black rhino is on the up as a whole, conservationists must remain vigilante and keep their fingers crossed that political and economic instability doesn’t undermine their recent success.

You can help WWF safeguard Kenya’s rhinos by sponsoring a black rhino.