Conservation of White Rhinos

1947 Words8 Pages
This report discusses how biologists are trying to solve the problem of the depleting Black Rhino population which has been primarily caused by large-scale poaching in African What is the problem? Black Rhinoceros’s occupy different areas of Africa where they are native to Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and United Republic of Zimbabwe. They are possibly already extinct in Ethiopia and are regionally extinct in Cameroon, Chad, and Rwanda, however they are being reintroduced to Botswana, Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia as part of Conservation Programmes. There are four sub-species of Black Rhino: Southern-Central Black Rhino, South-Western Black Rhino, East African Black Rhino and the West African Black Rhino all of which are classified as critically endangered, apart from the West African Black Rhino which is now listed as extinct.(1) They are a significant part of our ecosystem, as they are large herbivores that greatly influence the plant community. They also have an economic importance for humans as they help to create awareness for conservation efforts, and they also provide educational value through biology and also art. Although poaching for horns is one of the major reasons for them becoming endangered, their horns are very valuable for their use in various products, meaning the extinction of the Black Rhino would have a very negative impact; as the horns would be no longer available for these products.(2) In the 20th century Black Rhinos were the most numerous species of Rhino in the world, where at one stage the population could have equalled around 850,00. However due to poaching, hunting and habitat loss, by 1960 the population was estimated to be 100,000. Black Rhinos are currently listed as Critically Endangered on the ICUCN red list, as the population has declined by an estimate of 98% between 1960 and 1995, mainly due to
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