Cayla Baldus English 1101

Black Rhinoceros
Introduction The black rhinoceros, or the diceros bicornis, inhabits a large part of Africa. They are known for their large tank like bodies and two horns. Their desirable horns have put this species on the critically extinct list. As of November, 2013; a subspecies of the black rhino, the western black rhino, became officially extinct. The black rhino is in extreme danger of being wiped off of the planet.

About the Black Rhinoceros There are two types of rhinos in Africa; the black rhino and the white rhino. The black rhino has four subspecies while the white rhino only has two. Unlike the white rhinos who are grazers; the black rhino is what is called a browser meaning they eat from high bushes or trees. The black rhino uses its prehensile upper lip to grasp the stems, branches, twigs, and leaves. The black rhino is also sometimes called the hooked-lipped rhino due to the shape of its lip. The black rhino is a mostly solitary creature. Mother and daughter rhinos may stay together for long periods of time, while females that do not have offspring join a neighboring female. Male rhinos tend to live on their own when not courting female rhinos. Rhinos can reach an age of 40 or 50 years; however, due to the threats against them, their life span has been getting cut short. The four subspecies of the black rhino include the western (diceros bicornis longipes), eastern (diceros bicornis michaeli), south-western (diceros bicornis bicornis), and the south-central (diceros bicornis minor). The western black rhino used inhabit the savannahs of West Africa. The last spotting of the western black rhino was in 2006, and since then has unfortunately become officially extinct. The eastern black rhino historically was distributed from South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia through Kenya into north-central Tanzania. Its current stronghold is in Kenya, but there are growing numbers in Northern Tanzania. The South-western black rhino range one included Namibia, Southern Angola, Western Botswana, and South-western South

Cayla Baldus English 1101 Africa. Now the subspecies can only be found in South Africa and Namibia. The most numerous of the black rhino subspecies is the south-central black rhino. Historically, this subspecies ranged from central Tanzania through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to northern and eastern South Africa. Now the species stronghold is in South Africa, but can also be found in Zimbabwe. The eastern, south-western, and south-central black rhinos are all classified as critically endangered. Endangerment/Extinction The black rhino became endangered in 1986 and became critically endangered in 1996. Early European travelers reported that the black rhino was to be both widespread and common throughout much of the continent. Today, they are very scarce; only 5,055 black rhinos still inhabit the world. There was 96% decline in population from 1970 to 1993; the population went from 65,000 individuals to just 2,300. Due to the conservation efforts in the 90s and 2000s, the population of rhinos was able to grow, but today the numbers are again falling. Threats to Rhinos Rhinos are under constant threat of becoming extinct. Poaching is the number one cause of their endangerment. The number of rhinos being poached each year is on the rise. Rhinos are poached for use of their horns. Their horns are used in many different cultures, most abundantly in traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese perceive that the pharmacological properties of the horn are important. Rhino horn is the most revered ingredients in the pharmacopoeia of tradition Chinese medicine for centuries. Rhino horn has been used to treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions including high fevers, influenza, poisoning, convulsions, typhoid, epilepsy, restlessness, jaundice, malignant swelling, abscesses, hepatitis, leukemia,

Cayla Baldus English 1101 hemorrhages, rhinitis, cerebrovascular diseases, severe external burns, and as a general tonic. A number of TCM practitioners do not believe there is a suitable substitute for rhino horn in certain cases. However, clinical trials to determine whether there is a pharmacological basis for the belief in the fever-reducing properties of rhino horn have so far proved inconclusive.

Although far more rhinos are being poached to supply medicine, they are also being poached for ornamental reasons. They are a highly prized material for making the handles of ceremonial curved daggers worn in some Middle Eastern countries called jambiyas. Jamibiyas made from carved rhino horn carry the greatest cultural significance and instill the wearer with the highest status. This makes the horn so desirable for citizens of the Middle East. As the rate of poverty rises, so does poaching. Black rhino horn sells for an enormous price on the black market; therefore, people who live in poverty will become poachers to make quick cash. One kilogram of rhino horn can cost as much as 65,000 dollars on the black market; a price higher than gold. The price of rhino horn is driving more and more people to poach. Rhinos are also dying off due to the loss of habitat. Clearance of land for human settlement and agriculture production has affected millions of different species, including the black rhino. Authorized and illegal logging is a cause of the habitat loss also. Many countries have lost their rhino population completely due to habitat loss. Many countries have lost their rhino populations altogether: Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan in Africa; and Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Sarawak in Asia.

Saving the Rhinos If we dont do something, the black rhinos will follow after their western subspecies and become extinct forever. Rhinos are an integral part of the ecosystem. Rhinos are huge mega-herbivores and impact greatly on their environment by shaping the landscape. Their huge bodies force through thick shrubs and forest allowing access for other species. The area will then grow in a way that will benefit a range of smaller leaf eaters. Rhinos waste also provides essential nutrients for the soil providing for communities of organisms at the base of the ecosystem. In addition to providing nutrients for the soil, rhinos are great diggers and excavate minerals from the ground using their horns and feet. This helps species that are unable to open up the Earth themselves. Lastly, rhinos are fond of wallowing (rolling around in mud and water); therefore they will dig

Cayla Baldus English 1101 and dig to create wallows for themselves. These then become water holes for a whole range of different species that can used for bathing, drinking, and breeding for some species such as frogs. Rhinos are known as an umbrella species, saving them will help protect many other species.

To help save the rhinos, conservationists are doing many different things. One thing is surveying and monitoring the rhino populations. By doing this, they can measure the progress toward the metapopulation (a group of spatially separated populations of the same species) goals. In addition, data on the comparative performance of the different populations in a metapopulation encourages each park manager to put that parks rhino population into a top priority. This helps park rangers consider how that population can help contribute to the metapopoulation goals. Anti-poaching is a huge part in conserving the black rhinos. Trained anti-poaching units operate in addition to standard field ranger patrols to help control the level of poaching. The training for these individuals includes anti-poaching procedures, communications, and first aid. They also learn how to discover poached animals and then track the poachers themselves. Records and mapping of illegal poaching are also now being used more than ever. By recording the locations, they can pin point where the law enforcement is strong, and where it needs to improve by the levels of poaching in each area. The records can also help detect patterns for some poachers. Conclusion The black rhino is a critically endangered species and have already lost one of their subspecies forever. We need these black rhinos to help protect other species. Unless we start contributing to the cause, we might lose them forever.

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Bibliography "Black Rhinoceros." WWF Global. WWF, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. <http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/rhinoceros/african_rhinos/black _rhinoceros/>. Emslie, Richard, and Martin Brooks. "Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan." African Rhino. IUCN, 1999. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/1999049.pdf>. Nicks, Denver. "Science & Space." Western Black Rhino Declared Extinct. Time, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://science.time.com/2013/11/06/western-black-rhino-declaredextinct/>. "Threats to Rhino." Save the Rhino. Save the Rhino International, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/threats_to_rhino>.