West african black rhinoceros11/9/2022 ![]() Fish & Wildlife Service (Service), through the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act, supports conservation efforts of rhinos in its range countries. Government’s implementation of CITES.Īll five species of rhinos surviving in the wild today are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is the federal agency responsible for the U.S. However, it is important for the world community to remain vigilant as the threats to rhinos from poaching and illegal trade are still significant and increasing in some places such as southern Africa.Īll five species of rhinos are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES), an agreement among 175 nations to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Now, with good protection and successful management, the subspecies has increased to more than 20,000 and is the most abundant of all rhinos.Īnd in Chitwan, Nepal, rhino poaching has dropped to zero for the past year, and the population of rhinos has risen in Assam, India, over the past decade. Decimated by hunting, white rhinos nearly became extinct with only about 100 surviving in the wild. Recovery of Africa’s white rhino demonstrates the benefits of strong law enforcement and conservation management. Black rhinos went extinct in many range states, and by 1992, only 2,300 individuals survived in seven countries.īut while rhinos continue to be killed for their horns, increased security and greater anti-poaching efforts have led to increases in some populations over the past decade. Sumatran rhinos have decreased by 50 percent in the past 18 years leaving fewer than 200 surviving, primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia.Before 1900, black rhinos occurred throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, but between 19, rhino populations declined 96%. Wild rhinos can still be found in parts of Asia and Africa, but they live in small fragmented populations which may not be viable (due to lack of breeding opportunities and risk of random events or disease). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies rhinos in its Red List of Threatened Species from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened. ![]() The illegal trade in animal parts is a profitable business and the demand for these products creates an ongoing temptation for poachers. Rhino horns are also carved for dagger handles as a coveted status symbol in the Middle East. Rhino horns are used in Asian medicines, which are sold to consumers who believe these animal products can be used to treat fever, rheumatism, and gout, or even to cure cancer. Unfortunately, these same qualities make them popular targets rhino horn is in high demand on the global black market. The rhinoceros (of the family Rhinocerotidae) is a magnificent creature: big, powerful, and charismatic. It is thought that as recently as 1970 there were as many as 65,000 black rhinos in the wild. The black rhino population was near the brink of extinction and its conservation status is still considered as critically-endangered on the IUCN Red List. The keratin in rhino horn is sold on the black market and in order for poachers to take a rhino horn, the rhino is killed. Populations of black rhino have been decimated over recent years due to loss of habitat and rhino horn poaching. It is the smaller of the two African species and typically found in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi. They tend to wander smaller home ranges as long as there are woody plants and waterholes nearby. Far more shy, secretive, and aggressive than the white rhino, the black rhino can be more difficult to track and spot. The African black rhino is an herbivore grazer and is often found in the thick bush of the savannas.
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