![]() ![]() We’re protecting the rhino to ensure that the magnificent creature continues to roam the earth not just during our lifetime, but for generations to come. ![]() They can also rely on the ecotourism that these iconic creatures bring to the area as one of Africa’s ‘Big Five’. Many local people and communities use the land to grow natural resources for food, fuel and income. Rhinos are an important part of their local habitat because they help shape the African landscape by eating grass and other vegetation, which keeps a healthy balance within the ecosystem for the benefit of several other animals. The Vietnamese are currently the biggest consumers of rhino horn, and their demand drives most of the poaching, which has risen to record levels. In Asia and Yemen, the horn is commonly used for dagger handles, which are presented to young boys reaching manhood. Another reason is that they are ground up and used within traditional medicines in the Far East, where some users believe in its (unproven) ability to cure diseases and illnesses - it is even used as a hangover cure and an aphrodisiac. One of the reasons a rhinos horn is poached is because when the horn is carved and polished, the horn takes on a translucence and lustre, which increase as the object ages. Young rhinos or calves do have predators due to their size, and these are mainly big cats, crocodiles, African wild dogs and hyenas. Horn: Two horns, the front horn is generally 50 - 140cm long and is larger than the second horn.Īdult rhinos do not have any specific predator in the wild other than humans. Weight: Between 850 and 1,800kg with the females being slightly smaller than the males. ![]() West African Rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) - Unfortunately this subspecies was declared extinct in November 2011. Southwestern Rhino (Diceros bicornis occidentalis) - This subspecies has adapted to the arid and semi-arid savannas of Namibia, southern Angola, western Botswana and western South Africa.Įast African Rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) - This subspecies is mainly found in Tanzania. South-Central Rhino (Diceros bicornis minor) - This subspecies has the highest numbers of the black rhino species and can be found across central Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, through to northern and eastern South Africa. There are four subspecies of black rhinoceros: Why are West African Black Rhinos Extinct WebWest African black rhinos (Diceros bicornis longipes) were declared extinct in 2011, with the last. The black rhino has a more pointed mouth, which it uses to grasp leaves and twigs to feed. The white rhino is larger than the black rhino and has a square lip. The two species are not generally distinguishable by colour but by their size and shape of their mouth. This species is called a ‘black rhinoceros’ to distinguish it from the white rhinoceros. ![]()
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