Africa's Western black rhino has officially been declared extinct and other subspecies of rhinoceros could follow, according to the latest review by a leading conservation organization.
The main reason the West African black rhino is extinct is because of poachers, or illegal hunters. In traditional Chinese medicine, rhino horns are used to treat basically everything, from. And the Northern White Rhino of central Africa is possibly extinct in the wild. All of the rhinos are becoming extinct because they are being poached for their horns. The Western Black Rhino's population was down to 10 in the year 1980. And the Javan Rhino's population currently sits around 40-60.
Hunted to extinction for their horns, these two-horned Rhinos had very poor eyesight and have been known to use birds (oxpeckers) as an early warning system of approaching threats! Little book big prayers: spiritual growth activities.
Western Black Rhino Is Extinctjosh's Pancake House
- The western black rhinoceros is a subspecies of the black rhinoceros and it is also known as the West African black rhinoceros. The approximate weight of the western black rhinoceros ranges from 800 to 1.300 kg, it is about 3 – 3.8 m long and its height is approximately 1.4 – 1.7 m.
- The Western Black Rhino of Africa has been declared officially extinct, a leading conservation group has said. T wo other subspecies of rhinoceros are close to meeting the same fate, it warned.
Amazing Facts About the Western Black Rhinoceros
- The rarest of the black rhino subspecies, the Western Black Rhino was officially declared extinct in 2011. Their extinction was caused mainly by poachers killing them for their horns, which are highly prized on the black market and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
- Western black rhinos had very poor eyesight, unable to clearly see anything more than 30 meters away. They did, however have excellent senses of smell and hearing. Sadly, this was not enough to protect them from poachers.
- Despite being big and bulky, Western Black Rhinos could move quickly and had been recorded at speeds as high as 55 km/h. They could change direction surprisingly quickly and run straight through scrub and bushes.
- There is actually no color difference between White and Black Rhinos. They are both of a dark grey color but this varies depending on local soil conditions.
Picture Credit: Yoky (Wiki Commons User)
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Quick Facts
Western Black Rhino Is Extinctjosh's Pancake Good
- Type: Mammal
- Diet: Herbivore
- Lifespan: 30-35 years
- Size: 10-12' (3–3.75m) long, 4.5-5.9' (1.4–1.8m) tall
- Weight: 1760-3080lb (800-1400kg)
- Scientific name: Diceros bicornis longipes
- Habitat: semi-desert savannah, woodlands, forests and wetlands