![]() To safeguard rhinos from extinction, many conservation groups and game reserves have turned to dehorning, with the hopes that horn removal will disincentivize poachers from killing these charismatic animals. Read More: Elephant Poaching is Decreasing as Ivory Demand Slows Modern poaching groups are becoming increasingly sophisticated, organized and lethal to both rhinos and the humans protecting them, leaving few options for those working to preserve the species. Rhinos also draw tourists, making them a valuable revenue stream for local economies. Black Rhinos and the EcosystemĪs “ ecosystem engineers ,” rhinos play a central role in maintaining the health of their habitats.īlack rhinos use their hooked lips to munch on trees and shrubs, and their behemoth bodies, which can weigh in at nearly 3,000 pounds, trample soil and plants. The impact of this poaching also extends far beyond the loss of individual animals by leaving an ecological role unfilled. While poaching has been declining and black rhino numbers are trending upward, poaching remains the deadliest threat to black rhinos today, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Read More: Scientists Are Trying to Save These Animals From Extinction These activities have pushed demand for rhino horn to unsustainable levels and fostered a profitable black market trade, with prices soaring up to $65,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds). They are also a highly controversial component in traditional Chinese medicine, despite a lack of evidence for any real medicinal properties. Today, rhino horns remain a sign of wealth and status in some parts of the world. By 1993, only about 2,300 remained in the wild.Įuropean colonizers dealt the first major blow to black rhinos during the 1800s, by hunting them for sport and trophies at rates much faster than they could reproduce. ![]() In the latter half of the 20th century, black rhino populations decreased by 96 percent. These giants of the savanna have been decimated by poaching – the killing of individuals for their horns – since the 1800s. Their cousins on the continent, white rhinos, are faring better, although their “near threatened” status is jeopardized by declining populations. Endangered Rhinosīlack rhinos, one of two African rhino species living today, are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But controversy still surrounds the practice and the potential consequences of dehorning. candidate at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland who specializes in black rhino conservation. Anecdotally, dehorning has reduced the number of rhino killings in certain reserves, according Vanessa Duthé, a South African Ph.D.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |