Declining Number Of Rhinos

Rhinos are critically endangered

Although almost all species of rhinos have been recognized as critically endangered for many years, the conservation organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) noted in 2009 that rhino poaching worldwide is poised to hit a 15-year-high driven by Asian demand for horns.

As with the killing of sharks just for their fins, whereby the body is discarded once the fin is cut off the shark, rhinos are often killed just for the horns. In some Asian countries it is wrongly believed the horns have medicinal value.

The IUCN is finding some 3 rhinos a month are being killed. In some places that number is even higher. In Africa, the total rhino population is estimated to be around 18,000 and in India/Nepal only 2,400.

At the end of 2011, the IUCN declared that the West African wild black rhino was extinct, while a subspecies of white rhino in Central Africa may be extinct. In addition, the last Javan rhino outside Java is believed to be extinct. Although overall numbers have been increasing lately, various subspecies are still vulnerable to poaching.

Ironically rhino protection has been one of conservations great triumphs given how decimated many populations were about a century ago. South Africa, home to the largest population of rhinos (around 80% of all African rhinos), has been at the forefront of conservation, but as the IUCN warned a few years ago, poaching is again on the increase and numerous species remain vulnerable.

New Scientist notes that the increase in rhino poaching since 2008 has been exponential bringing them ever closes to the tipping point.

In 2009, ICUN were fearing some 3 rhinos a month were being killed. In 2012, it was almost 2 a day in South Africa alone, up 50% from 2011.

This increased even more, to 1004 rhinos killed in South Africa in 2013.

TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, reported that South Africa has witnessed a rising spiral of organized, violent rhino-related criminal activity. Much of this comes from Vietnam as well as other countries such as China, Thailand and Malaysia, all for the mistaken belief that rhino horns can help cure hangovers and cancer. Some of the criminal networks involved are also believed to be involved in other illegal activities such as drug and diamond smuggling, human trafficking and illegal trade in other wildlife products such as elephant ivory.