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A total of 488 rhino had been killed at the end of October 2012, the department said in a statement.
In 2011, 448 rhino were poached.
The Kruger National Park remained the hardest-hit area, with 296 rhino killed there this year. This was 44 animals more than in 2011.
Poachers continued to target Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the North West, with 158 rhino lost in the three provinces this year.
The department said it was making progress in nabbing people linked to poaching, with around 214 arrested this year alone.
Most of those arrested were suspected poachers. Ten people were arrested for receiving poached goods, and 18 for transporting poached items.
