PRESENTATION OUTLINE
FACTS
The status of the Black Rhino is that they are critically endangered. There is currently 4,848 black rhinos. They grow up to 5.2 feet. They weigh from 1,760-3,080 pounds. They live in Africa.
OVERVIEW
European hunters are responsible for the early decline of black rhino populations. It was not uncommon for five or six rhinos to be killed in a day for food or simply for amusement. European settlers that arrived in Africa in the early 20th century to colonize and establish farms and plantations continued this senseless slaughter. Most people regarded rhinos as vermin and exterminated them at all costs.
WHY THEY MATTER
- Rhinos are one of the oldest groups of mammals, virtually living fossils.
- They play an important role in their habitats and in countries like Namibia, rhinos are an important source of income from ecotourism
- The protection of black rhinos creates large blocks of land for conservation purposes. This benefits many other species, including elephants.
THREATS
Black rhinos have two horns, and occasionally a third small posterior horn. The front horn is longer than the rear which makes them lucrative targets for the illegal trade in rhino horn. Between 1970 and 1992, 96 percent of Africa's remaining black rhinos were killed. A wave of poaching for rhino horn rippled through Kenya and Tanzania, continued south through Zambia's Luangwa Valley as far as the Zambezi River, and spread into Zimbabwe. Political instability and wars have greatly hampered rhino conservationo work in Africa, notably in Angola, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan. This situation has exacerbated threats such as trade in rhino horn, and increased poaching due to poverty.
Today, black rhinos remain Critically Endangered because of rising demand for rhino horn, which has driven poaching to record levels. A recent increase in poaching in South Africa threatens to erase our conservation success. The increase is driven by a growing demand from some Asian consumers, particularly in Vietnam, for folk remedies containing rhino horn. A total of 333 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2010 – almost one a day.
What the WWF is doing..
WWF launched an international effort to save wildlife in 1961, rescuing black rhinos—among many other species—from the brink of extinction. Conservation efforts have helped the total number of black rhinos grow from 2,410 in 1995 to 4,880 in 2010. We work to stop poaching, increase rhino populations, improve law enforcement and tackle illegal rhino trade.
