You can read our heartfelt tribute to him here. Their future is continuously imperiled by an illegal trade motivated by greed, cruelty, and. The last male northern white rhino, Sudan, died in March 2018 of age-related issues. Most rhino species are dangerously close to extinction. The only two remaining northern white rhino live at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The subspecies western black rhino and northern white rhino are now extinct in the wild. There are now around 20,000 living across Africa, yet the increase in poaching levels is once again threatening these populations. White rhino are classified as ”‘near threatened”. Numbers of Black rhino dropped by a staggering 96% between 19 but thanks to concerted rhino conservation efforts, their numbers are now rising. The black rhino is “critically endangered” with only around 5,000 remaining in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Kenya. The two remaining rhino species are found in Africa. Numbers have increased due to successful conservation efforts, though Asian rhino species are still poached for its horn in India and Nepal. The third Asian species is listed as “vulnerable”. The Greater One-Horned rhino has increased in numbers up to 3,550 from only 200 in 1900. The Javan rhino is one of the rarest large mammals on earth, and was declared extinct in Vietnam in 2011. There are only around 75 Javan rhino left in the world and less than 80 Sumatran rhino. There are three species of rhino in Asia, two of which are “critically endangered,” the Javan and Sumatran rhino. There are five rhino species surviving today – Black, White, Greater One-Horned (or Indian), Javan and Sumatran, and several sub-species within these groups. It is used as a status symbol and is said to be an aphrodisiac. More recently, and particularly among the middle and upper classes of Vietnam, the purchase of rhino horn signifies someone’s wealth and success. Rhino horns are used in traditional Asian medicine, particularly in Vietnam and China, though there is no scientific evidence that keratin found in the horn is beneficial as a remedy. Rhino horn trade has been banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES) since 1977, yet the black-market demand for rhino horn is high. Political and economic instability within countries can increase the threat of poaching too. One rhino horn can fetch in excess of an incredible £200,000. Poaching is big business, and well organised criminal gangs are now well-equipped to track and kill rhino. Poaching and illegal trade of rhino horn has increased sharply since 2007 and remains one of the major reasons rhino are still endangered today. Rhinos have between 24 to 34 teeth, depending on the species.POACHING AND ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING OF RHINO HORN There are only three extant animal famillies in this group - Rhinocerotidae (rhinos), Equidae (horses, zebras and asses) and Tapiridae ( tapirs). Rhinos are part of a group of animals called Perissodactyla, which are odd-toed ungulates. White and India rhinos are considered to be grazers. The black, Javan and Sumatran species are browsers, wrapping their prehensile upper lip around leaves and twigs when foraging. Learn more about Sumatran rhinos What do rhinos eat? Only elephants overtake them as the largest extant land animal. These hefty beasts can measure over 6ft at the shoulder and weigh up to 3,600 kg. The Sumatran rhino is the smallest of the world’s 5 rhino species.Īlthough still fairly sizable, standing nearly 5 feet at the shoulder and weighing 600-950kg, this rhino is diminutive indeed compared to the largest species, the white rhino. A Sumatran rhino in captivity, in Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia.

Are rhinoceros extinct