Thankfully, immense conservation efforts are finally paying off in Africa. The numbers of critically endangered black rhinoceroses are slowly rising, according to the latest figures by IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Within six years, the numbers of the rhino population grew 2.5% each year. The species is still threatened, vulnerable to poaching, and affected by a changing habitat due to global warming. However, the population increase from around 4,845 rhinos in 2012 to roughly 5,630 in 2018 provides a glisten of hope that efforts put into saving the species are yielding results.
Dr. Grethel Aguilar, the IUCN’s acting director-general, said:
While Africa’s rhinos are by no means safe from extinction, the continued slow recovery of black rhino populations is a testament to the immense efforts made in the countries the species occurs in, and a powerful reminder to the global community that conservation works.
Dr. Aguilar, who compiles the global red list of species under threat, warned that illegal trade and poaching remains a threat. “It is essential that the ongoing anti-poaching measures and intensive, proactive population management continue, with support from national and international actors,” she added.
In Africa, they have employed different strategies to save the endangered species, with varying degrees of success. For example, they are relocating some individual animals from established groups to new regions to increase the species range, while some have been removed from their home to avoid interbreeding.
In June 2018, there was a failed attempt to save 11 black rhinos. The rhinos were transported to Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, from Nairobi, and they all died. Ten died from drinking water that was too salty, and one from a lion attack. Regardless, the most significant threat to black rhinos is still poachers.
The CEO of Wildlife Direct charity, Paula Kahumbu, explained:
There are major challenges still facing rhinos today. The first is the demand for rhino horn in Asia. So long as that demand remains, the price will stay high, and the incentive for poaching will continue across Africa. The prevention of poaching requires very good intelligence, extremely good anti-poaching efforts, and that is expensive. It means that we have to have almost a military-style approach to protecting these animals.
According to the IUCN, poaching numbers had dropped after its 2015 peak, when at least 1,349 rhinos were poached, to around 892 in 2018.
Richard Emslie, an African rhinos coordinator at IUCN, said:
With the involvement of transnational organized crime in poaching, rhino crimes are not just wildlife crimes. If the encouraging declines in poaching can continue, this should positively impact rhino numbers. Continued expenditure and efforts will be necessary to maintain this trend.
The IUCN believes that the population will continue to rise over the next five years.
