Endangered Rhinoceros

About Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros once roamed throughout the forests of Africa and Eurasia. They were widely found in the African savannas and the tropical forests of Asia. But, today, very few are found outside the national parks and nature reserves. They are mainly found in southern Africa, central Africa, eastern Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Rhinoceros own massive bodies, stumpy legs, and have one or two horns. They have poor eyesight, which prevents them from making targeted attacks on their poachers. However, their sense of smell and hearing is developed to make out the poachers. They mark their territory by depositing dung.

They are fond of bathing in muddy pools and sandy river-beds. They can sleep both standing and lying on the ground. Their horns are made of keratin, which is the same type of protein found in our hair and fingernails. The Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn whereas the Sumatran rhinoceros and both the species of African rhinoceros have two horns.

Five species of rhinos exist in the world. Three species are found in Asia, while two species of them are found in Africa. Javan, Sumatran, and Indian rhinos are found in Asia whereas Black rhino and White rhino are found in Africa. All the species of them are enlisted as endangered animals.

Javan and Sumatran rhinos are listed as critically endangered on the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Indian rhinos are categorized as endangered animals. There are two distinct subspecies of Javan rhinos. One subspecies are found in Vietnam, and the other subspecies lives on the Indonesian island of Java. Only 40 Javan rhinos were alive in 2009.

Two subspecies of White rhinos are found in Africa. They are southern White rhino and the northern White rhino. The southern White rhino are the most abundant among the rhinos, and are listed as endangered animals. The northern White rhino are listed as critically endangered.

There are four subspecies of the critically endangered Black rhinos. They are eastern Black rhino, south-western Black rhino, southern central Black rhino, and western Black rhino. The western Black rhino is thought to have become extinct. The numbers of other Black rhinos have increased in the past ten years, but still it is not satisfactory.

Causes of endangerment of Rhinoceros

All the species of rhinoceros are endangered because of their horns. Their horns are believed to possess aphrodisiac properties, and are widely used in making traditional medicines. Moreover, their horns are used by some cultures for ornamental purpose. In addition to it, the endangered rhinos are threatened by other predators such as big cats, crocodiles, wild dogs, and hyena.

Conservation of endangered Rhinoceros

The endangered rhinoceros have gained importance with the government as well as the wildlife organizations. World Wildlife Federation (WWF) is trying to protect the endangered rhinos by putting a check on the illegal trade in horns, lobbying hard to stop the illegal timber trade, and by strengthening the protected areas in Africa and Asia.

Therefore, conservation of the endangered rhinos will ensure their recovery from becoming extinct.