Conservation of the Black Rhino

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Conservation of the Black Rhino

• Diceros bicornis

By Kenny Czemerda
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History of the Black Rhino

• The black rhino has suffered the most
  spectacular rate of decline of all rhino species.
  Between 1970 and 1992, the species suffered a 96
  reduction in population. In 1970 it was estimated
  that there were approximately 65,000 black rhinos
  and by 1992-93 there were only 2,300 surviving in
  Africa.

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Size of the Black Rhino

• 1,750 - 3,000 lbs (800 - 1,350 kg)
• 4.5 - 5.5 ft (1.4 - 1.7 m) tall at shoulder
• Of the two horns, the larger horn measures 1 ft 8
  in - 4 ft 4 in (0.5 - 1.3 m) long

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Breeding

• The breeding management of black rhinoceros
  has involved both natural and assisted breeding.

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Natural Breeding

• The immediate priority has been to allow
  natural breeding to take place due to a number of
• advantages over assisted breeding. These
  advantages include the obvious fact that natural
• breeding is readily achievable compared to
  what is still required in terms of assisted
  breeding
• techniques and it is non-evasive and less
  intensive in terms of animal management.

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Rhino Horns for Medicinal Uses
It is a myth that rhino horn is used in southeast
Asia as an aphrodisiac. It used to treat fever
Trade in rhino horn is banned but limited trophy
hunting --at about 40,000 a head is allowed in
South Africa. Walker says the example of the
white rhino's comeback holds out hope for the
black rhino and as Asia's struggling rhino
populations.
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Distribution of the Black Rhino
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What you can do to help
Become a member of the International Rhino
Foundation in its efforts to help the rhino. Your
membership can be set up to benefit any one or
all five rhino species. Furthermore, 100 of your
donation to the International Rhino Foundation
will be used to support IRF sponsored projects.
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Save the Rhino International

• Profile, awareness and grass-roots,
  fund-raising focused on the five
  remaining species of rhino, are
  
  SIR's core objectives. Another
  crucial objective
  is to construct a
  long-term program of providing
  
  consistent funds to dedicated field
  managers,
  without whom there
  would be no future for the
  rhino.
  

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Recent Developments

• Since 1996, the intense anti-poaching efforts
  have had encouraging results and numbers have
  been recovering and are now back up to about 2700
  and still increasing. Nevertheless, the poaching
  threat remains great and there is no cause for
  complacency.

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THE END