black rhino(nicholas chin ee karng)

ENDANGERED ANIMAL—BLACK RHINO

STATUS:Critically
Endangered

POPULATION:Around
5,600

HEIGHT:5.2 feet

WEIGHT:1,760 -3,080
pounds

HABITATS:Semi-
Desert Savannah,
Woodlands, Forests,
Wetlands

• Populations of black rhino declined
dramatically in the 20th century at the
hands of European hunters and
settlers. Between 1960 and 1995,
black rhino numbers dropped by a
sobering 98%, to less than 2,500.
Since then, the species has made a
tremendous comeback from the brink
of extinction. Thanks to persistent
conservation efforts across Africa,
black rhino numbers have doubled
from their historic low 20 years ago to
around 5,600 today. However, the
black rhino is still considered critically
endangered, and a lot of work
remains to bring the numbers up to
even a fraction of what it once was—
and to ensure that it stays there.
Wildlife crime—in this case, poaching
and black-market trafficking of rhino
horn—continues to plague the species
and threaten its recovery.

Rhino populations are recovering in Namibia
thanks to community-led interventions

Before the heat of the day sets in, a black rhino covers her rough skin in a thin veneer of mud and seeks shade
beneath an acacia tree. She spends most of her time alone, roaming Namibia’s arid savannas and flat-topped hills,
where she’s uniquely adapted to thrive. But there are 2,187 others like her, meaning her kind is now less at risk of
going extinct than it was a decade ago.
In March 2020, the southwestern black rhino, one of three black rhino subspecies, was reclassified from “vulnerable”
to “near-threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature after its population increased more than
11% between 2012 and 2017 (the year of the most recent count). This status change parallels a hopeful trend for all
of Africa’s black rhinos, one-third of which live in Namibia: Although the species overall faces persistent threats from
poaching and is still classified as critically endangered, its population has climbed steadily since 2012.
Many factors have contributed to the rise, including increases in community-based game guards, robust monitoring
efforts, community engagement campaigns, and translocation projects, which relocate select rhinos into new habitats
so that they have more space to breed. Since 2013, WWF has worked with the government of Namibia and partners
such as Save the Rhino Trust, Rooikat Trust, and Namibia Nature Foundation to help Namibia’s communal
conservancies improve and expand their rhino protection programs and prevent wildlife crime—efforts that have also
fostered population growth.
Despite these gains, the pressure on rhinos “remains immense,” says Bas Huijbregts, director of African species
conservation for WWF-US. “WWF supports the many facets of rhino conservation critical to the species’ long-term
survival. But ongoing whole-of-government, NGO, and community cooperation, as well as more sustainable financing,
is critical to ensuring this success story continues.”

Capturing a rare rhino on its midnight stroll

In August 2018, I teamed up with the Zoological Society of
London and the Kenya Wildlife Service to photograph critically
endangered black rhinos in Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park. I
knew it would be a challenge. This park is mountainous and
covered in thick vegetation, which makes it perfect black rhino
habitat but a difficult place to spot these elusive creatures.
Since black rhinos are mostly active at night, and often tread
along established wildlife corridors, I realized they would be
ideal subjects for my camera traps. I had a very specific shot in
mind: a rhino with thousands of stars behind it. The conditions
would have to be just right—a moonless night—and I only had
a few days during my monthlong trip to get it.
With just two days left in Kenya, I went to check on one of the
camera traps. When I arrived, I discovered that my tripod had
been flipped upside down. Black rhinos are notoriously
grumpy, and one individual had already flattened every
camera he found in his territory. But when I pulled up these
pictures, I was ecstatic to discover this shot. Unlike his
brethren, this rhino was inquisitive, and must’ve nudged the
camera just after it snapped this photo. After one month of
effort, I got the shot I wanted—and the camera, thankfully,
was unharmed.

WHY THEY
MATTER

Rhinos are one of the oldest
groups of mammals, virtually
living fossils. They play an
important role in their habitats
and in countries like Namibia,
rhinos are an important source
of income from
ecotourism. The protection of
black rhinos creates large
blocks of land for conservation
purposes. This benefits many
other species, including
elephants.

ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE

• Of all the threats facing black rhinos,
poaching is the deadliest. Black rhinos
have two horns which make them
lucrative targets for the illegal trade in
rhino horn Today, black rhinos remain
critically endangered because of rising
demand for rhino horn, from some
Asian consumers, particularly in
Vietnam and China, who use them in
folk remedies. A recent increase in
poaching in South Africa threatens to
erase our conservation success,
reaching an apex in 2014 when 1,215
rhinos were poached. Poaching
numbers are slowly decreasing—594
were poached in 2019—but poaching
continues unabated with numbers
remaining unsustainably high.

WHAT WWF IS • WWF launched an international effort to save
DOING wildlife in 1961, rescuing black rhinos—among many
other species—from the brink of extinction. Thanks
to persistent conservation efforts across Africa, the
total number of black rhinos grew from 2,410 in 1995
to more than 5,000 today.

• To protect black rhinos from poaching and habitat
loss, WWF is taking action in three African rhino
range countries: Namibia, Kenya, and South Africa.
Together, these nations hold about 87% of the total
black rhino population.

TACKLING WILDLIFE CRIME

In Kenya, WWF works with
rangers to stop poaching in high-
risk areas. We help provide the
proper training and technology
to catch and deter poachers.
WWF is also supporting the
development of Kenya Wildlife
Service’s forensic lab and a DNA
database called RhoDIS, which
will be used to analyze DNA in
criminal investigations to connect
a poached animal with horn
being sold.

• In South Africa, WWF
trains law enforcement
agencies to address wildlife
trafficking challenges.
TRAFFIC, the world’s
largest wildlife trade
monitoring network, has
played a vital role in
bilateral law enforcement
efforts between South
Africa and Vietnam. This
has gone hand-in-hand
with written
commitments to
strengthen border and
ports monitoring as well
as information sharing in
order to disrupt the illegal
wildlife trade bring
perpetrators to justice.

PROTECTING AND MANAGING KEY POPULATIONS

• WWF supports annual aerial population surveys at
key sites such as Etosha National Park in Namibia. The
surveys are critical for evaluating breeding success,
deterring poachers, and monitoring rhino mortality.
WWF is also working with partners to develop and
implement cutting-edge technologies in Namibia,
South Africa, and Kenya to closely monitor key
populations. When paired with boots on the ground,
innovative solutions like electronic identification and
tracking tags, radio collars, drones, and camera traps
provide us with the data we need to make important
decisions for black rhino populations going forward.
We install new thermal and infrared camera and
software systems that can identify poachers from afar
and alert park rangers of their presence.

You’ve served WWF as a volunteer involved in helping conserve the animal ‘chosen to
be presented in your flip book.

As the president of WWF of you school, your teacher advisor has asked you to give a
speech to your club members on the conservation of ….. the animal chosen.

Using the notes you’ve gathered in your flip book write a speech.

A very good morning to our respected principal ,teacher and my fellow friends. I am
grateful to be given this opportunity to give a talk in front of you. Today , I am going to give a talk
entitled ‘The Endangered Animal-Black Rhino

First ,do you know the meaning of endangered species? Let me tell you, endangered
species means that a species considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild . Do
you know some example of endangered species? I will tell you the black rhino now . The black
rhino is classified as critically endangered. It population have around 5600 only. It scientific
name is Diceros bicornis . Black rhino are about 5.2 feet tall and weigh between 1760-3080
pounds. The black rhino population are found in central and southern Africa in countries
including south Africa,Namibia,Zimbabwe and kenya. They live the most at Semi-Desert
Savannah, Woodlands, Forests, Wetlands .Black rhinos are browsers rather than grazers, and
their pointed lip helps them feed on leaves from bushes and trees. They have two horns, and
occasionally a third, small posterior horn.

Why will black rhino become endangered animal? The main reason that make the black rhino
become endangered animal is the ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE . Of all the threats facing black rhinos,
poaching is the deadliest. Black rhinos have two horns which make them lucrative targets for the illegal
trade in rhino horn . Today, black rhinos remain critically endangered because of rising demand for rhino
horn, from some Asian consumers, particularly in Vietnam and China, who use them in folk remedies.
Next to poaching, loss of habitat contributes to declines in rhino population. Human activities such as
agriculture, settlements, and infrastructure development result in the loss and fragmentation of rhino
habitat, which increases the risk of poaching and inbreeding.Besides,population,

Poaching is the deadliest and most urgent threat to black rhinos. WWF is working with government
agencies and partners in Namibia, Kenya, and South Africa to support law enforcement agencies, develop
and build on innovative tech solutions, and equip and train rangers to stop poachers. In Kenya ,WWF help
provide the proper training and technology such as the RhoDIS,which use to analyze DNA in criminal
investigation. In south Africa,WWF have the world largest wildlife trade monitoring network,TRAFFIC, has
played a vital role in bilateral law enforcement efforts between South Africa and Vietnam. These
organization are working in countries where black rhino are in demand to draw attention to the link
between the use of rhino horn and the suffering of wild rhino as well as to find suitable alternatives for
use in traditional medicines. The thing that you can do to help the black rhino is don’t buy horn
products,use and support sustainable wood, paper. Thank you.