🦏🌍 We focus on spreading the love for Africa's resilient rhinos! While it's a day of celebration and awareness, it's also a day to confront a harsh reality: one rhino is poached every 16 hours in Africa.
Did you know that Africa is home to two rhino species: the black rhino and the white rhino? Sadly, as of March 2018, only two northern white rhinos remain alive, both females, under 24/7 armed protection in Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy. However, southern white rhinos have made a remarkable recovery, with around 16,000 individuals today, classifying them as Near Threatened.
Black rhinos, the smaller of the two, identified by their hooked upper lip, saw a severe population decline due to 20th-century European hunters and settlers, dropping by 98% between 1960 and 1995. Conservation efforts since have doubled their numbers to over 6,000, but they are still critically endangered due to ongoing poaching.
Despite progress, all rhino species remain at risk due to a surge in illicit rhino horn trade. Rhinos play a crucial role in their ecosystems as vital grazers, shaping the African landscape and supporting other wildlife. They are also essential to local communities, providing resources and economic opportunities through ecotourism.
On World Rhino Day, let's make noise on behalf of Africa's 'unicorns' and inspire those around us to protect them from the threat of poaching.
#SaveAfricanRhinos #WildAfricaFund #Rhinos #BlackRhino #WhiteRhino #Poaching #WildlifeProtection #Conservation #Shorts
