The Northern White Rhino is closely related to the Southern White Rhino, a sub-species that is thankfully less threatened than its northern counterpart. The Northern rhino is slightly smaller than its Southern cousin and according to geneticists, the two sub-species geographically split around a million years ago, with Southern whites based in Southern Africa and Northern whites living in Central Africa. Like elephants, all rhinos in Africa are aggressively hunted for their lucrative horns and skin with rhino horns currently selling for over $100,000 on the black market, making them more valuable by weight than platinum.
With the recent ban in Ivory trade in the UK, the topic of poaching has received much-needed media attention in recent months. However there is great debate amongst countries as to the best way to tackle this practice of illegally obtaining animal parts, some believing an outright ban on the trade is the best way forward and others arguing that a controlled version would help raise money for conservation of threatened species. Even if the ivory trade is banned the question still remains as to what happens to all the horn and ivory currently owned. With stockpiles across the world it means they remain valuable commodities.
There is no easy answer, but, whatever the answer is, we must act quickly. In 2013 the Western Black Rhino was also declared extinct, and its Eastern counterpart with less than 1000 individuals left is on the brink. Many more species including elephants, lions and impala are also critically endangered by the poaching war and it is entirely down to human actions that we have reached this sad situation.
A renowned wildlife photographer, Amy Vitale, has documented the demise of the Northern White Rhino since 2009. She said, “When I saw this gentle, hulking creature in the Czech snow, surrounded by smokestacks and humanity, it seemed so unfair. He looked ancient, part of a species that has lived on this planet for millions of years, yet could not survive mankind… [but] if there is meaning in Sudan’s passing, it’s that all hope is not lost. This can be our wake-up call. In a world of more than 7 billion people, we must see ourselves as part of the landscape. Our fate is linked to the fate of animals.”
www.gofundme.com/makearhino : click
36
37