Rhino Report - Can they Be Saved?

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kA report looking at 10 years of rhino populations across the globe offers both a positive and negative outlook on whether they have a chance at survival. The report, which looks at rhino populations over the past ten years, examines their growth and decline and the factors that have impacted those statistics. One common factor, illegal poaching and trophy hunting.

Beginning in 2009, there were approximately 21, 000 rhinos across the globe, which given that there are 5 species of rhino, is alarmingly low. Over the course of 8 years, the population of rhinos grew almost 30% to 29, 000 which initially looks like good news. In the past two years however, their populations have begun once again to dwindle thanks to the poaching of white & sumatran rhinos dropping the total rhino population to somewhere around 27, 000. Although this is still an improvement over 10 years ago, it also demonstrates that there is still much work to do in helping to grow and conserve every species of rhino.

In Africa, the white rhino is taking the biggest hit to their population from illegal poaching. White rhinos tend to live in more open spaces making them especially susceptible to poaching.  The black rhino is making a small comeback with numbers hovering around 5, 500 which despite growing, is still alarmingly low. Efforts to curb poaching have been effective but not nearly as effective as required to secure a future for rhinos on the continent. 

In Asia, India and Nepal have done extensive work to protect rhinos with their greatest success being the Indian Rhino which saw numbers jump from only 100 to over 3, 500. On the other hand however, the Sumatran rhino remains one of the most vulnerable to extinction with their numbers dropping 70% in 20 years and fewer than 80 remaining. These statistics show that rhinos of all varieties remain as one of the most endangered species on the planet.

Among the reports findings, habitat loss and poaching / trophy hunting remain the top threats to rhinos in the wild. In some cases, anti-poaching efforts are wildly successful while in other parts, more needs to be done to ensure rhino populations grow. In my opinion, knowing that rhinos face such an unknown future, it's alarming to me that trophy hunting of rhinos is still permitted. Whereas illegal poaching is as the name suggests, illegal, trophy hunting continues to be a legal sport. As it is wholly unnecessary and frankly, feeds a desire for blood thirsty, wealthy humans to get their thrills, it should be immediately banned. There shouldn't even be an argument when it comes to trophy hunting and rhinos, with the dangers they already face through habitat loss or poaching, why are we still allowing any rhinos to be killed for the right price?

As I mentioned, the report paints both a grim and somewhat positive outlook. If anti-poaching is ramped up in high traffic areas, we can bring those numbers back up from their decline and work towards a future for all rhinos to once again thrive.

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