It is an icon of African fauna, belonging to that exclusive group of the Big Five , the five species that every safari collector wants to see (leopard, lion, buffalo, rhinoceros and elephant). But the African black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis ) was practically exterminated during the last century due mainly to hunting.
In recent years, titanic efforts have been made to conserve this emblematic species, and it seems that we finally have good news: the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has just announced in a statement that the black rhino population is slowly increasing. According to the organization, the population has grown throughout Africa, from approximately 4,845 to 5,630 animals in the wild. Furthermore, population models predict a similar increase in the next five years, a slow but promising increase.
The recently updated IUCN Red List now includes 31,030 endangered species. In the case of the African black rhino, its category remains Critically Endangered, but conservation efforts are paying off.
“While the rhinos of Africa are by no means safe from extinction, the slow and continuing recovery of black rhino populations is a testament to the immense efforts made in the countries where the species is found, and a powerful reminder to the global community that conservation works. At the same time, it is clear that there is no room for complacency, as poaching and illegal trade continue to be acute threats ”, explained in the statement Grethel Aguilar, acting director general of IUCN. ” It is essential that ongoing measures to combat poaching and the intensive and proactive management of populations continue, with the support of national and international actors .”
The three subspecies of black rhinoceros that survive today in Africa are on a slow recovery path, and the news is very positive for the southwestern black rhino ( D. bicornis ), which has moved out of the category Vulnerable to Near Threatened after experiencing sufficient population growth.
The other two surviving subspecies, the southeastern ( D. b. Minor ) and eastern black rhino (D. b. Michaeli ), remain Critically Endangered after sharp declines between the 1970s and the mid-1990s.
White rhino status
The African white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum ), classified as Near Threatened on the Red List, is a species more vulnerable to poaching because it has larger horns and prefers more open habitats, making it easier to locate than the rhino. black.
Although this species is more numerous, the numbers of the southern white rhinoceros subspecies (C. s. Simum) decreased by 15% between 2012 and 2017, from approximately 21,300 to 18,000 animals. This recent decline was due, in large part, to high levels of poaching in South Africa’s Kruger National Park , home to the largest population of white rhinos in the world. The other subspecies of white rhinoceros, the northern white rhino ( C. s. Cottoni ), remains Critically Endangered (possibly extinct in the wild).
Poaching, the main danger
Although the international trade in rhino horn is prohibited, demand on the black market remains very high and poaching remains the main threat to rhinos. However, poaching has declined in recent years: “ After a peak in 2015, when at least 1,349 rhinos were hunted, or an average of 3.7 rhinos killed per day, the numbers of animals being poached they have decreased every year since then. In 2018, there were at least 892 rhinos killed: about 2.4 African rhinos per day, or one every ten hours. Preliminary data for 2019 indicates that poaching levels have further decreased, ”the IUCN statement explains.
Another cause of death is, as for other species, the loss of habitat. Populations are isolated or cornered by agricultural expansion, human settlements, and infrastructure such as roads and dams. There are fewer and fewer ecological corridors through which they can safely move from one place to another.
“It is crucial that the local population is increasingly involved and benefits from conservation efforts. International, national and local actors must work together to address the biodiversity crisis. It will be critical that the voices of those working in the field to protect endangered species such as African rhinos are amplified , in the coming years, when setting the conservation agenda for the next decade, ”said Jane Smart, global director of the Group of IUCN Biodiversity Conservation.
