Rhinoceros once roamed many places throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa and were known to early Europeans who depicted them in cave paintings. But now, very few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves due to persistent poaching and habitat loss over many decades. Read here to learn more about the magnificent species.
The northern white rhino’s extinction became certain with the passing of the last male in 2018. However, in 2015, a consortium of twenty scientists across five continents initiated a bold and costly endeavor to reconstruct the subspecies by in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The first rhino pregnancy ever accomplished by implanting a lab-made rhino embryo into a surrogate mother was revealed by scientists recently.
The IVF use of a southern white rhino, a closely related subspecies that split off from the northern whites around a million years ago, required thirteen tries before it was successful.
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceroses are universally recognized for their massive bodies, stumpy legs, and either one or two dermal horns. In some species, the horns may be short or not obvious.
- They are renowned for having poor eyesight, but their senses of smell and hearing are well-developed.
- The biggest of the five surviving species are Africa’s white rhino and Asia’s greater one-horned rhinos.
In Africa, southern white rhinos once thought to be extinct, now thrive in protected sanctuaries and are classified as near threatened. But the western black rhino and northern white rhinos have recently become extinct in the wild.
Three species of rhino-black, Javan, and Sumatran are critically endangered.
- Today, a small population of Javan rhinos is found in only one national park on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Java.
- A mainland subspecies of the Javan rhino was declared extinct in Vietnam in 2011.
- Successful conservation efforts have led to an increase in the number of greater one-horned (or Indian) rhinos, from around 200 at the turn of the 20th century to around 3,700 today.
- The greater one-horned rhino is one of Asia’s biggest success stories, with their status improving from endangered to vulnerable following significant population increases.
- However, the species remains under threat from poaching for its horn and from habitat loss and degradation.
In Africa, southern white rhinos once thought to be extinct, now thrive in protected sanctuaries and are classified as near threatened. But the western black rhino and northern white rhinos have recently become extinct in the wild.
Species of Rhinos
Rhinoceroses, commonly known as rhinos, are large herbivorous mammals known for their distinctive horns. There are five extant species of rhinoceros, each facing varying degrees of threat:
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum):
- Subspecies:
- Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
- Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cotton)
- Conservation Status: Southern White Rhinoceros – Near Threatened; Northern White Rhinoceros – Critically Endangered (Functionally Extinct in the Wild)
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis):
- Subspecies:
- South-central Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor)
- South-western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis occidentalis)
- East African Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli)
- West African Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) – Declared Extinct
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Great one-horned or Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis):
- Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus):
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis):
- Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Threats to Rhinos
Poaching
- Poaching, driven by consumer demand for rhino horn primarily in Asia, poses the biggest threat to rhinos.
- Most of these horns find their way into the illegal market in Vietnam, where law enforcement is weak and criminal networks grind up the horns to sell for use in traditional medicines or sell them whole as a high-value gift item.
- China is an important consumer market as well, where rhino horn enters art and antique markets and is sometimes acquired as an investment purchase.
Illegal wildlife trade
- Although international trade in rhino horn has been banned under the CITES since 1977, demand has remained high and continues to fuel rhino poaching in both Africa and Asia.
- Criminal syndicates link rhino horn source countries like South Africa with a series of transit points and smuggling channels to get the product to its final destination in Asia.
- The main markets are now in countries like Vietnam and China where rhino horn has become a party drug, a health supplement, and a hangover cure.
- In Vietnam, there is also a newly emerged belief that rhino horn cures cancer.
Habitat loss
- As economic development, changes in grassland composition, logging, and agriculture degrade and destroy wildlife habitats, rhino populations are declining.
- Those remaining rhinos live in fragmented, isolated areas and are prone to inbreeding, as healthy genetic mixing is more difficult among smaller groups.
- Also, having a large population confined to one protected area can lead to the allele effect where breeding is depressed due to a lack of resources and disease can spread rapidly through these highly concentrated populations.
Important Aspects of Conservation Efforts
- Anti-Poaching Measures: Deploying anti-poaching units to protect rhinos from illegal hunting for their horns, which are highly valued in some traditional Asian medicine markets.
- Translocation and Reintroduction: Translocating rhinos from areas with high poaching risk to safer habitats. Reintroducing rhinos to historical ranges where populations have declined.
- Community Engagement: Involving local communities in conservation efforts to ensure their support and active participation in protecting rhinos and their habitats.
- Technology-Based Solutions: Implementing technology, such as GPS tracking devices and drones, to monitor rhino populations and detect potential threats.
- Habitat Protection and Management: Establishing and maintaining protected areas to safeguard rhino habitats and ensure sufficient food and water resources.
- International Collaboration: Collaborating with international organizations, governments, and non-profits to share expertise, funding, and resources for rhino conservation.
- Legislation and Legal Protections: Implementing and enforcing strict laws against poaching, illegal trade, and habitat destruction. Advocating for policy changes to enhance legal protections for rhinos.
- Scientific Research: Researching rhino behavior, genetics, and health to inform conservation strategies and breeding programs.
- Captive Breeding Programs: Establishing and maintaining captive breeding programs to increase rhino populations and genetic diversity.
- Demand Reduction: Implementing campaigns to reduce the demand for rhino horns by raising awareness about the ecological impact and the cruelty involved in the illegal trade.
- Rhino Horn Devaluation: Investigating and promoting the infusion of rhino horns with non-lethal substances, rendering them undesirable for illegal trade.
Surrogacy for revival of northern white rhinos
With the loss of the last male northern white rhino in 2018, surrogacy became the only practical means of reviving the species.
- It was discovered that Najin and Fatu, the two surviving females, were pathologically incapable of reproducing.
- The only viable option left for the Northern White Rhino is to employ frozen male and female reproductive cells to generate embryos in a lab, and then transfer those embryos into genetically related and more common southern white rhino surrogate moms.
Concerns of IVF:
- The procedure limits the gene pool for a viable northern white population by using the sperm and eggs of two deceased guys to create the embryos.
- The special characteristics of the northern white rhino, which are specialized for marshy environments, would be lost by crossbreeding with southern white rhinos, so this is not a viable solution.
- Even in cases where IVF and surrogacy are effective, genetic diversity is still a worry.
- IVF babies are not genetically predisposed to display the usual characteristics of northern white rhinos.
- The maintenance of features distinctive to the species depends on early interaction and learning from northern white adults.
- The urgency stems from the ages of Najin (35), and Fatu (24), the two surviving north white females.
In the news
South African scientists make rhino horns radioactive to curb poaching
The Rhisotope Project is an innovative conservation initiative aimed at protecting rhinoceroses from poaching by using radioactive isotopes. The project leverages cutting-edge technology and scientific research to address the critical issue of rhino horn poaching, which poses a significant threat to rhino populations worldwide.
Objectives:
- Deterrence of Poaching: The primary objective is to make rhino horns undesirable to poachers and traders by incorporating a radioactive isotope into the horn.
- Conservation: Protect endangered rhino species and help stabilize and increase their populations.
- Research and Development: Advance the scientific understanding of using radioactive isotopes for wildlife protection.
Conclusion
Despite these efforts, rhino conservation faces ongoing challenges, including poaching, habitat loss, and geopolitical issues. The collaborative and sustained commitment of governments, conservation organizations, local communities, and the public remains crucial for the survival of these magnificent creatures.
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-Article by Swathi Satish
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