Thankfully, immense conservation efforts are finally paying off in Africa. The numbers of critically endangered black rhinoceroses are slowly rising, according to the latest figures by IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Within six years, the numbers of the rhino population grew 2.5% each year. The species is still threatened, vulnerable to poaching, and affected by a changing habitat due to global warming. However, the population increase from around 4,845 rhinos in 2012 to roughly 5,630 in 2018 provides a glisten of hope that efforts put into saving the species are yielding results.
Dr. Grethel Aguilar, the IUCN’s acting director-general, said:
While Africa’s rhinos are by no means safe from extinction, the continued slow recovery of black rhino populations is a testament to the immense efforts made in the countries the species occurs in, and a powerful reminder to the global community that conservation works.
Dr. Aguilar, who compiles the global red list of species under threat, warned that illegal trade and poaching remains a threat. “It is essential that the ongoing anti-poaching measures and intensive, proactive population management continue, with support from national and international actors,” she added. Read more…
