Dr Tim Kuiper, Senior Lecturer in Biodiversity and Statistics in the Department of Conservation Management at Nelson Mandela University’s George Campus, is the lead author of this article, which was published in the prestigious journal, Science.
Read the news article
Mandela University’s Communication Director Primarashni Gower spoke to him.
What inspired you to become a scientist?
My parents took me to nature reserves. Growing up and I fell in love with mammals and birds, hills and open spaces. I am unceasingly curious – I want to understand how things work. It is such a joy being a scientist. My faith is at the heart of everything I do. I believe God created the world to show his glory and as a gift to us. I believe he loves the earth he has made and wants us to love it too.
Please tell us about your background. What did you study and where?
I studied Maths, Statistics and Zoology at Rhodes University, then an MSc in biodiversity conservation at Oxford, and a PhD in interdisciplinary conservation science also at Oxford University.
What are your research interests?
My vision for research and teaching is to exemplify and nurture African excellence and leadership in interdisciplinary conservation science. I am disheartened to see how most research on African biodiversity and conservation challenges published in the top journals is led by non-Africans.
I want to change that through my research and mentorship. Although I have already benefited greatly from my time at Oxford during my PhD, I believe this Schmidt Faculty Fellowship will help me achieve this vision by cementing new long-term ties with Oxford and boosting my African research group into a world-leading position in our field.
I work at the interface between social and ecological systems, with a focus on biodiversity conservation. My strength is in the application of advanced statistical, geospatial and mathematical modelling to better understand human impacts on biodiversity and help formulate evidence-based conservation solutions.
A growing interest of mine is impact evaluation: what works to reduce biodiversity loss under which conditions? Answering these questions requires not just well-designed monitoring and robust statistical methods, but solid stakeholder engagement to help define impact and develop strategic theories of change.
My current research focuses on understanding the drivers of and solutions to wildlife poaching in various southern African contexts. My past research has included human-lion conflict in Zimbabwe, elephant population dynamics in South Africa, and links between wildlife trade and COVID-19.
How did you end up doing research on rhinos?
It is all down to two people – Professor Res Altwegg of the University of Cape Town and the late Sharon Haussmann (who passed away on 31 May 2025), CEO of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation.
They were the two people who suggested me as a scientific and data analysis lead for the project that eventually resulted in the Science paper. I had previously worked on ranger-based monitoring of elephant poaching in Zimbabwe, and Africa-wide drivers of elephant poaching, so it was a natural fit.
Sharon was the person who brought me onto the project as the data analyst and promoted me to the rest of the team (no small feat as I was a scientist trying to talk to a group of very accomplished on the ground reserve managers and rhino protecters). More than that, Sharon was so fun to hang out with.
We shared many silly and deep conversations about life and conservation on the daily game drives we would go on after a tough day of meetings. She had such a deep love for rhinos and all wildlife and was unwavering in her commitment to conservation through GKEPF (Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation).
How much of your time is spent doing research on rhinos?
At the moment, about half my research time is on rhino related projects. I am now pivoting to look into wider issues around the synergies and trade-offs between human well-being and biodiversity in Africa’s future.
How many rhinos are left in the country. What is their plight? Why are they so important for the country?
Regarding rhino population numbers, at the end of 2023, South Africa reported 16,056 rhinos comprising 2,065 black and 13,991 white rhinos. These figures compare with figures estimated for the end of 2021, when there were 2,056 black and 12,968 white rhinos in the country. South Africa had 1,032 more rhinos in 2023 than what there were in 2021 despite the poaching – in 2022 and 2023, 2.9% and 3.2% of South Africa’s rhinos respectively were poached. These were lower than the threshold of 3.5% beyond which rhino numbers will decline. This is from DFFE - https://www.dffe.gov.za/mediareleases/george_rhinostats
When rhinos are poached for their horns, where are the horns taken?
The horns are typically taken by traffickers and smuggled through illegal wildlife trade networks. What usually happens is that the poachers kill the rhino and quickly remove the horn using machetes, axes, or saws. The horns are then typically hidden in backpacks or vehicles, and moved rapidly to avoid detection by authorities or anti-poaching patrols.
The horns are handed over to local middlemen who pay the poachers (often a small fraction of the final value) and prepare for smuggling, by concealing the horns in shipments of other goods, like wood, metal, or powdered products.
Horns are transported to international markets through airports, seaports, or overland routes. Bribery and corruption often play a role in avoiding customs or security. The major destinations for rhino horn are Vietnam and China, where it is used in traditional medicine (falsely believed to treat fever, hangovers, or even cancer), carved into high-status ornaments (cups, beads, sculptures) and stockpiled as a symbol of wealth or speculative investment.
How do you feel about the journal article that you and the team authored being the cover story on Science?
I am still gobsmacked! It was a real team effort. Sharon Haussmann was our awesome leader. I want to dedicate the Science paper to Sharon, who led the whole project and tragically passed away on 31 May. She is the second author on the paper, but by far and away the leader of the broader project.
Sharon was a one in a billion kind of person – she was a fiercely able and visionary leader and yet was so excellent at making others feel heard and valued. She was the strategic director of the project and the person who brought on the ground reserve managers and rangers into the same room with government officials, and pie in the sky academics and statisticians. Without her there would be no Science paper.
What is it like working at Mandela University and what are your plans for the future? You mentioned setting up a forum for young scientists.
I absolutely love Nelson Mandela University and the George Campus. I love teaching undergrads, mentoring postgrads, and doing research. I have some incredible colleagues too. Perhaps the best part of the job is seeing young excellent biodiversity scientists (my postgrad students) get even better and more confident.
The future is bright for science and conservation in Africa. I am currently leading a team of 16 early career researchers as we craft a vision article for how we want the future of African conservation research to look like.