The Black Rhino

The black rhino (scientific name diceros bicornis) is a subspecies of rhino that inhabits the deserts, savannas, xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical grasslands of Namibia and Coastal East Africa. It is 5.2 feet tall, and it can weigh between 1,760 and 3,080 pounds. It has two or, in a few cases, three horns: in these cases, one horn is a small, posterior one. Its front horn is longer than its rear one: this is why its front horn is a valuable item in the illegal rhino horn trade. In fact, the demand for its front horn has been rising recently in both Asia and Africa, though for different reasons. The demand for its front horn has been rising recently in Asia, especially in Vietnam, because its front horn is a necessary ingredient for the folk remedies that are popular in Asia. The demand for its front horn has been rising recently in Africa, especially in Sudan, Angola, Rwanda, and Somalia, because trade in its front horn has been helping alleviate the widespread poverty caused by the wars and political instability there. Because of all this, it is being poached more than it has ever been before, especially in South Africa.

This is the reason why the black rhino is classified as a Critically Endangered species; it is also the reason why one of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF's) efforts to save it consists of stopping the poaching of it in Namibia through the use of antipoaching patrols and a free hotline that allows people to safely and anonymously report any instances of it being poached. Another one of the WWF's efforts to save it consists of increasing its numbers in several different areas, most notably Etosha National Park in Namibia and the province of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. All of this is being done for two reasons. The first reason is that it is an important source of ecotourism in several different countries, most notably Namibia. The second reason is that the protection of it creates large areas of conservation land, which benefits many other species, most notably the elephant.

Source for picture and all information: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-rhino