Conservation of rhinoceros populations
The conservation of rhinoceros populations is a critical initiative aimed at protecting these large herbivorous mammals, which are native to Africa and southern Asia. There are five recognized species within the rhinoceros family, all of which are currently categorized as endangered due to significant threats from poaching and habitat loss. Notably, rhinoceros horns are highly valued in traditional Asian medicine, leading to illegal hunting that has decimated populations; for instance, Africa's black rhino population has decreased by over 96%. Conservation efforts have seen varying degrees of success, with some species, such as the Indian rhinoceros, benefiting from targeted protection measures that have increased their numbers to around 4,000. However, challenges remain, particularly in regions where poaching persists, exacerbated by factors such as economic hardship and reduced law enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Innovative strategies, such as the establishment of high-voltage fencing and species survival plans in zoos, aim to bolster rhinoceros populations. As of 2022, the global rhinoceros population has seen a slight increase to approximately 27,000, yet the Javan and Sumatran species continue to face critical endangerment. Conservationists remain committed to ongoing efforts to ensure the survival of these majestic creatures amid persistent threats.
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Conservation of rhinoceros populations
DEFINITION: Large herbivorous mammals native to Africa and southern Asia
Efforts are ongoing to conserve and protect the world’s remaining populations of rhinoceros, several species of which have been hunted to near extinction.
The term “rhinoceros” is used to refer to a group of five species in the family Rhinocerotidae, one of the largest remaining megafauna. The rhinoceros has a thick, protective, armorlike skin and can grow to weigh more than one ton. The most distinctive physical characteristic of the rhinoceros is the large horn on its nose. Unlike the horns of other mammalian species, the horn of the rhinoceros lacks a bony center and is composed only of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and fingernails. Some rhinoceros species, the Indian and Javan rhinoceros, have a single horn, while the African and Sumatran species have two horns.
Of the five existing species of rhinoceros, two are native to Africa and three are native to southern Asia. The two African species are the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). The three Asian species are the Indian rhinoceros, also known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis); the Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus); and the Sumatra, or Asian two-horned, rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Three of the five species (Javan, Sumatran, and black) are listed as “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, with the Javan rhinoceros one of the most rare and endangered large mammals worldwide. The white rhino is Red Listed as “near threatened” and the Indian rhinoceros is listed as “vulnerable.”
Despite their large size and fierce reputation, rhinoceroses are vulnerable to poaching, especially during their daily drink from a water hole. The rhinoceros horn is highly valued by practitioners of traditional Asian medicine, who use derivatives of the horn to treat fevers and convulsions. Rhinoceros horns are also used in making dagger handles. Poaching levels in some African countries in the early twenty-first century threatened to jeopardize gains that had been made in rhinoceros populations, with poaching estimated to equal annual growth. Poaching has caused a greater than 96 percent decrease in Africa’s black rhino population, and it appears to be increasing in some countries, as the illegal horn trade has progressively worsened since 2006, while efforts to protect the rhinoceros have become increasingly ineffective. Notably, during the early 2020s, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt by this endangered species population as the pandemic led to reduced park staff and law enforcement presence in protected areas, leading to an uptick in illegal poaching. Conservation agencies working to preserve the rhinoceros population also dealt with funding cuts, which limited their efficacy in operations to protect these animals. Additionally, some community members resorted to illegal poaching as a means of financial survival during the pandemic.
Many plans for the conservation and recovery of rhinoceros species have been put in place and have been effective in increasing rhinoceros populations in certain areas. Although the Indian rhino was nearly extinct by the early twentieth century, the population of this species reached 4,000 in India, Nepal, and Bhutan in 2022, according to the International Rhino Foundation, as a result of concentrated protection efforts. Conservation efforts directed toward the southern subspecies of white rhino, which had been nearly decimated at the end of the nineteenth century, have elevated this population so that it is the most abundant rhinoceros subspecies. In addition to efforts to protect rhinoceros species in the wild, zoos have created species survival plans for rhinoceroses that include breeding programs, education programs, and plans for the introduction of captive-bred animals into secure habitats.
In 2016 China eased restrictions on the trade of rhinoceros products and in 2018 reversed its ban on rhino and tiger parts for medicinal uses or medical research. This resulted in rampant poaching and a significant population decline in certain areas. However, not all conservation efforts proved fruitless during the twenty-first century. The installation of high-voltage fencing around some preserves has curbed the poaching of rhinoceroses somewhat, but the practice persists, in part because of poor enforcement of the laws against hunting these animals and in part because of the increasing availability of automatic weapons to potential poachers. In areas that have experienced the most poaching, efforts have been made to relocate rhinoceros populations to safer regions.
In 2022, the global population of rhinos increased to about 27,000, which indicates that conservation efforts are working. However, the Javan and Sumatran rhinos remained critically endangered, with conservationists estimating their population at around 34.
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