Rhinos
There are only 5 species of rhino in the world. These are the White Rhino, Black Rhino, Javan Rhino, Greater One-Horned Rhino, and the Sumatran Rhino. Three of these are listed as critically endangered. These are the Black Rhino, Javan Rhino, and the Sumatran Rhino. The Greater One-Horned rhino is listed as vulnerable whilst the White Rhino is listed as near threatened on the IUCN (Internation Union for Conservations of Nature) Red List.
All Rhinos are huge! Even the smallest rhinos - Sumatran Rhinos - still weigh 600kg which is almost 95 stone. White rhinos are the largest and they can weigh about 3500kg which is equivalent to over 550 stone or 3 and a half tonnes!
​Both the black and white rhinos are not the colour their name suggests. In fact they are both grey. The white rhino is said to have gotten its name from the Afrikaans word for wide (‘wyd’), referring to its wide, square lips (in contrast, black rhinos have a pointy upper lip). Early English explorers mistook this word for ‘white’ and consequently named this species ‘white’ rhino, and the other ‘black’ rhino to differentiate.
Much to many's surprise, male rhinos are called 'bulls' and females are called 'cows' whilst their young are 'calves'. Females tend to be more sociable than the more solitary, territorial males. Together, a group of rhinos is called a 'crash'.
Rhino horn is made up of keratin - the same protein which forms the basis of our hair and nails. Javan and greater one-horned rhinos only have one horn, whereas all the other rhino species have two horns. Their horns grow continuously during their lifetime - the white rhino's horn can grow 7cm every year - and the record length is 150cm long!
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However, almost all rhinos are being poached because of their horns. Poaching is the main reason rhinos are dying each year. Rhinos are under threat. Over 7,100 African rhinos have been killed by poachers in the last ten years - that's around 2 every day. Poaching gangs are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In some instances, using helicopters to track the rhinos, and once the animals are shot with guns or tranquilising darts, their horns are removed using chainsaws, and quickly airlifted away. The whole operation can take as little as 10 minutes, and if the rhino isn't already dead, it will often bleed to death.
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As of March 2018, there are only two white rhinos of the Northern white rhino left. Both of which are female. However, the International Consortium of Scientists and Conservationists are working towards preventing the extinction of the northern white rhino through advanced assisted reproduction technologies and is pleased to announce that in March and April 2021, four additional northern white rhino embryos were produced.
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Ground rhino horn is used in traditional Asian medicine to 'cure' a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers. The horn is also seem as a status symbol, particularly in Vietnam.
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Despite poaching being the main reason rhinos are dying. habitat loss and fragmentation are an increasing threat to rhinos. As human populations and infrastructure grows, rhino habitat decreases.
