The world of all five species is being rapidly destroyed and shredded, their savanna and forest habitats sliced apart by clearings, fences , roads and other obstructions. Even worse, they are being slaughtered by armed poachers for their valuable rhino horn , which is falsely thought to have aphrodisiac or curative properties for maladies ranging from hangovers to cancer.
Vietnam and China are overwhelmingly the biggest consumers of rhino horn. Chinese citizens and even diplomats working in Africa and Asia have reportedly engaged in the illegal smuggling of rhino horn and other wildlife products. Rhinos are relicts of a great megafauna that until recently dominated the planet. Today, they are some of the most endangered animals on Earth. For instance, the Sumatran rhinoceros is so rare that biologists refuse to disclose where it still lives, to avoid tipping off poachers — beyond confirming it persists in small pockets of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
But today it is one of the rarest mammals on Earth, with just 60 animals surviving in far western Java, Indonesia. In Africa, white rhinos and black rhinos are having mixed fortunes — but mostly bad. The black rhino was once widely distributed across eastern and southern Africa, but its numbers have dramatically fallen and nearly half of its unique subspecies have vanished. The white rhino has two distinct subspecies. The southern subspecies collapsed to just 20 individuals a century ago, but with dedicated protection it has made an astounding comeback — to around 20, animals today, by far the most numerous of all rhinos.
But the northern white rhino is virtually gone. The last male died on March 19 , and only two females are alive in captivity. In recent weeks scientists have used frozen sperm and harvested eggs to create a few test-tube embryos , which they hope to implant into a southern female in a last-ditch effort to stave off the northern subspecies' demise.
All of this means that most of the nations with rhino populations are having profound difficulties maintaining them. Not that it's easy. Rhinos are big, near-sighted, and rather predictable in their habits — easy prey for poachers.
Adult bulls can weigh up to 2, kilograms. Male bulls are predominantly a solitary animal and can be very territorial. White rhinos communicate vocally, using a wide range of sounds including snarling, wailing and squeaking. Non-verbal communication is also used, particularly during breeding courtship. The big animal might also threaten the food supply of smaller native animals. Its huge body can be easily translated into more appetite. They also have the power to frighten smaller animals away from the food sources.
The only ones powerful enough to control the population of rhinos should be human. And we know that the plan was to get those rhinos away from humans as far as possible. Even though this mission has been in progress, it certainly still has its own pros and cons, the supporters and the opposition. Both of them have their own reasons to say yes or no about introducing rhinos to Australia.
Those who support this mission think that Australia is the perfect place to protect this animal, and the continent have plenty of resources to fulfill the needs of this horned mammal. In addition, the population indeed gets closer and closer to extinction day. Since there is no big predator left to control the population of rhinos in Australia, it might be dangerous for native animals. As the population grows, the need for more foods does too. Among those pros and cons, an idea from neutral point of view emerged: send them to Australia, only if they have their special place.
Semi-wild or managed populations of rhinos in enclosed areas might be the best option available. The Black Rhino was once widely distributed across eastern and southern Africa, but its numbers have dramatically fallen and nearly half of its unique subspecies have vanished.
The White Rhino has two distinct subspecies. The southern subspecies collapsed to just 20 individuals a century ago, but with dedicated protection it has made an astounding comeback — to around 20, animals today, by far the most numerous of all rhinos.
But the northern White Rhino is virtually gone. The last male died on March 19 , and only two females are alive in captivity. Read more: Even if you were the last rhino on Earth All of this means that most of the nations with rhino populations are having profound difficulties maintaining them. Rhinos are big, near-sighted, and rather predictable in their habits — easy prey for poachers.
They live in developing nations with many impoverished people, where lethal weapons are frighteningly common and the rule of law is precarious. In efforts to staunch the slaughter, some nations are de-horning their rhinos, or assigning guards to watch over them day and night, like heavily armed sheep herders. South Africa is even treating rhino-horn powder with powerful poisons to help scare off illicit consumers.
Lynn Johnson , an enterprising Melbourne businesswoman, has raised tens of thousands of dollars to place ads in Vietnamese magazines and newspapers, warning about the poisons and decrying the rhino slaughter.
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