Over 740 rhinos have been killed in SA this year

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says 749 rhino have been poached so far this year in South Africa, up from the same period last year where 716 were killed.

The minister revealed the numbers at a briefing in Pretoria this afternoon.

Eye Witness News reported that Molewa gave a third update on measures to combat rhino poaching in South Africa.

The latest figures also paint a bleak picture for theKruger National Park where 544 rhino were killed last year.

Molewa says the number of rhino poached there continues to rise.

"There are 12 active poacher groups. At any given time somewhere on the two million hectares of the Kruger National Park the 12 moves at any given time." She says while there's a drop in the numbers of rhino poached outside the Kruger National Park, the number of rhino lost to poachers in the park is escalating.

As a result, she says the security cluster, including the police and state security ministries, have stepped up their efforts.

"The problem of people attempting to poach is decreasing, we know that for a fact because those have been positively identified."

The minister says 138 poachers have been arrested this year compared to 81 in the same period last year.

"That is why rangers made physical contact with poachers."

Molewa says the numbers of rhino in South Africa are stable thanks to the efforts from rangers and interventions from her department and the rangers.