There are four northern white rhinos left on the face of the Earth. Four. It has come down to an extinction countdown. In 1960, there were over 2,000 of these subspecies of rhinos. However, widespread poaching decimated the population, and in 1984, there were only 15 rhinos left that had survived, all located in Garamba National Park, DRC. This is a big deal. Most people are unaware of the number of species critically endangered and extinct around the world.
According to the Species Directory on the World Wildlife Fund website, Black Rhinos are also deemed critically endangered as well. Just in 2014, over 22 species of animals were declared extinct. Humans are not only over populating the Earth, but also encroaching on their homelands and food sources. We go about our daily routines and lives and do not even think about the impact we have on the world around us. Poachers all over Africa, but especially in Kenya are a huge threat as well. Rhinos are poached for their horns, which on the black market range from $30,000 to $70,000 dollars.Unlike the Native American or African cultures where the entire animal it utilized, the rhinos are left to bleed to death and rot.
Rhino poaching has escalated especially in the recent years and is being driven by the demand for rhino horn in Asian countries in particular, Vietnam. More shocking is that the horn is primarily used for traditional Chinese medicine and a status symbol for the rich and wealthy. Chinese traditional medicine calls for grinding the horn to a soft powder and mixing with water into a paste. This is then given to the patient to drink to cure all kinds of ailments.
None of these rhino horn medicines have been scientifically proven to cure or help any disease or sickness, yet their use continues to be popular. According to Save the Rhino's website, which raises awareness and money to protect endangered rhino species, “The scarcity of rhinos today and the corresponding intermittent availability of rhino horn only drives the price higher, and intensifies the pressure on the declining rhino populations. For people whose annual income is often far below the subsistence level, the opportunity to change one's life by killing an animal that they don't value is overwhelming."
It frustrates me greatly to know that this horrible trade still exists in our world. Just a few days ago, CNN reported on a 24/7 guard for the last northern white rhino male. There are two or three female rhinos that they want him to breed with to help save the species. Most people would consider this a solution for saving critically endangered species, however, continuing to breed from the same gene pool isn't the answer - so what is?
