World Rhino Day

Each day 2-3 rhinos are killed for their horns, which in some cultures are seen as having healing powers. 

Between 1970 and 1992, the population of the black rhino species decreased by 96%.
Fewer than 200 Greater one-horned rhinos existed earlier in the 20th century.
There currently are approximately 35-44 Javan rhinos surviving in in one country, Indonesia.
Fewer than 100 Sumatran rhinos are believed to survive on the island of Sumatra, with perhaps as few as ten animals remaining in Sabah, Malaysia. 
Only the populations of the Southern white rhino remain viable.The Northern white rhino is believed to be extinct in its last known habitat in Garamba National Park due to poaching.

Oh stop the horror!

Despite the slaughter, rhino numbers worldwide are actually increasing … thanks to the International Rhino Foundation and its partners in countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, India and Indonesia.

Today, September 22, is World Rhino Day. Where we celebrate all 5 remaining species of rhinos. We've said it before, and we'll say it again days like these are important in the plight to spreading awareness and promoting the aid and rehabilitation of endangered species. See wildlife day blog post here. 

You can help save rhinos from extinction by going to zoos. Supporting your local zoo means supporting research, breeding, rehabilitating and reintroducing these endangered species back into the wild. 

Other ways to help according to the IRF: 

White Rhinos

Support our Stop Poaching Now! campaign. Train and equip rhino rangers in South Africa and Zimbabwe, empower legal professionals to prosecute wildlife crime, and employ specially-trained “Horn Dogs” to track rhino horn poachers and smugglers.

Black Rhinos

Funds are needed to move rhinos threatened by poachers to more secure areas in Zimbabwe’s Lowveld region and for our project to reintroduce the black rhino to Botswana by translocating animals from South Africa.

Greater One-horned Rhinos

Re-establish rhino populations in India’s Manas National Park and Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary. Help us increase the number of rhinos in Assam to 3,000 animals by the year 2020.

Sumatran Rhinos

Employ Rhino Protection Units in Indonesia’s Bukit Barisan Selatan and Way Kambas National Parks, home to two-thirds of the world’s Sumatran rhinos, of which only about 100 are believed to remain. Support our breeding efforts at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary.

Javan Rhinos

Employ Rhino Protection Units in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park, the final stronghold for the Javan rhino. Less than 50 remain. If this population disappears, the species will be gone forever.

10 Most Endangered Animals

10. The little dodo bird, an island ground pigeon. Native to Samoa, and only twelve inches in length, it's relative is the famous large dodo bird from Mauritius which became extinct 400 years ago. They are disappearing at an alarming rate due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Survey suggests less than 200 dodo birds exist. Worse still, there are no dodo birds in captivity.

9. The Chinese giant salamander, native to central, southwestern and southern China, is the world's largest amphibian (reaching up to 6 feet!). Although it can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, then guarded by the males, they have almost completely disappeared due to over-exploitation as a food source.

8. The Siberian (Amur) Tiger, the largest big cat in the world, living in negative 50 degree climates of Russia. Due to hunting, the Siberian saw a decline to just 40 tigers in the 1930s, now population estimates are around 500. Read our post about the tiger here.

7. Leatherback Sea Turtle, despite having the largest regions of habitats (spreading from tropics to subpolar regions), population has plummeted from over 100,000 female Leatherback Sea Turtles to just 30,000 14 years later, and the number continues to fall at alarming rates. The biggest threats to these turtles is ingesting plastic bags, which they confuse as food like jellyfish, humans stealing their eggs, illegal hunting, beach development, and beach erosions due to climate change.

6. Western Lowland Gorilla and Cross River Gorilla, both native to West Africa. Although the Western Lowland Gorilla is much more numerous than the Cross River, they have seen a 60% population decline in the last 25 years. Threats include habitat loss, illegal commercial hunting by poachers and the ebola virus.

5. Northern Right Whale was named for it being the right whale to kill as it was full of valuable whale oil but it also floats when it's dead, making it easy to handle and process. As a result, it was driven to near extinction. Entanglements in commercial fishing, and climate change affecting crustaceans on which the whales feed threatens the existence of the Northern Right Whale.

4. Northern Sportive Lemur, or any of the other 100 species of lemurs. All species live on the island of Madagascar and are declining drastically in population due to illegal hunting and habitat deforestation from logging. Researchers have recently reportered there may only be 20 wild Northern Sportive Lemurs. Less than 100 Greater Bamboo Lemurs exist in the wild.

3. Javan Rhinoceros is the most threatened of the 5 rhino species. Between 40-60 remain in the Ujung Kulon National Park and the last of a small group in Vietnam was killed by poachers. The Javan Rhinoceros has been hunted to near extinction for it's horns.

2. Amur Leopard which lives in snowy Russia, a rare breed adapted to this climate. Similar to the African leopard, the Amur can run at speeds up to 37 miles per hour (60 km/hour). Only 30 Amur Leopards remain in the wild. The threats, habitat loss due to logging, roads and civilizations, illegal hunting and climate change.

1. Ivory-Billed Woodpecker which lives, or lived in southeastern US and Cuba. It was listed as extinct in 2004, but few reports of sightings have been made in Florida and Arkansas. Extinction has been caused by habitat deforestation (logging) and human exploitation for it's feathers.

Rhino Born in San Diego

Congratulations to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for the birth of a southern white rhino, the first to be running around in the park in 12 years! The herd has welcomed the arrival of spunky Kayode, we are so happy for you and the new addition to the SD Safari Park African Plains family!