To highlight the plight of the rhinoceros, Tuesday the 22 September 2015 has been designated as “World Rhino Day”- #WorldRhinoDay
Rhino populations are under sever threat from poaching to satisfying demand across swathes of Asia, where rhino horn is considered to have medicinal properties and is ‘marketed’ as an aphrodisiac.
Note: A TRAFFIC survey identified that buying rhino horn products, at best had “emotional benefits rather than medicinal.”
IWB fully supports highlighting the plight of the rhinoceros on World Rhino Day and drawing attention to all the rhino anti-poaching work being undertaken.
Notes:
Courtesy of Save The Rhino
White rhino population figures
| Subspecies | Population |
| Southern white Ceratotherium simum simum |
20,405 |
| Northern white* Ceratotherium simum cottoni |
4 |
*Story of Sudan, the last male Northern white rhino – Sudan’s story
Black rhino population figures
| Subspecies | Population |
| Eastern Diceros bicornis michaeli |
799 |
| South Western Diceros bicornis bicornis |
1,957 |
| South central Diceros bicornis minor |
2,299 |
| Total | 5,055 |
Asian rhino population figures
| Greater one-horned | Sumatran | Javan |
| 3,333 | <100 | 58-61 |
Population figures are according to numbers published 31 December by the IUCN for African rhino species and results of a 2012 / 2013 census for Asian rhino populations.
Comments 2
Tragic statistics! 4. When we have brought species to the brink of extinction,with all the social media,dragging peoples heads from the sand,AND it still is happening.What is wrong with mankind?
Author
Nona,
Thank you for the comment. There is a one last chance to save the Northern white rhino subspecies. There is a proposal for the last remaining Northern white rhino male, Sudan being involved in an IVF programme (all previous breeding has failed) – but Sudan is old (so urgent action is needed now, more than ever) and the IVF programme is expensive. See the attached link to read more about Sudan’s plight and that of the Northern white rhino. Perhaps you can help raise the IVF funding, just a bit. Thank you for caring and please share this story…..
https://iwbond.org/2015/09/19/extinct-in-the-wild-the-last-male-northern-white-rhino/