Despite the recent increase in social media concerning
the extinction of the western black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis longipes, the subspecies was actually declared
extinct in 2011, and the last sighting of wild individuals all the way back in
2001. However, the lesson we can learn from the plight of the western black
rhino, as well as all other subspecies and species of rhino, is an extremely
important one.
The demise of the worldwide rhino population, regardless of
range or species, is intrinsically tied to the use of the animal’s horns in
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although the TCM trade has largely
diminished, with several bans restricting the import of rhinoceros products
into Middle Eastern and Eastern Asian countries, poachers still manage toslaughter wild rhinos at an astonishing, not to mention growing, rate.
The situation of the rhino is the same the world over –
although some species are more abundant than others, no species is truly common,
and two of the six* living species are critically endangered: the Indonesian Javan
rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus
is limited to the last 50 or so members of its subspecies, and the Vietnamese
Javan rhino R. s. annamiticus was
declared extinct in 2011 as well. The next most common rhino species, the
Sumatran Dicerorhinus sumatrensis,
has a wild population of about 200 individuals.
*Although most resources cite five rhinoceros species
(black, white, Sumatran, Javan, and Indian), the northern and southern
subspecies of white rhinoceros Ceratotherium
simum have been found to be two distinct species.
The sadness associated with the extinction of a species,
especially ones which have such an important ecological role, as well as
worldwide recognition and popular appeal, is a sadness largely associated with
the regret of not saving a species which the opportunity is present. We, as a
species, as doing a fair amount to save the world’s remaining rhinoceros
populations, but we truly need to do more if we wish to truly save these
animals. Of course, as any biologist will tell you, there are a myriad of species out there which
are much smaller or lesser known than any rhinoceros species and which require
much more of our attention. But no species deserves to be loosed to the whims
of extinction in a rapidly changing world.
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| The fate of rhinoceros populations worldwide lies in our hands. |
When the first historical anthropogenic extinctions
occurred, the very notion of extinction was an alien thought. The fact that an
entire species could be wiped out was beyond comprehension in a world in which
an almighty power had personally created each and every species. By the time
scientific minds had pieced together why, for example, no one had seen a dodo
in years, it was far too late to do anything about it. When concern began over
the fate of the western black rhinoceros, it was likewise already too late. An
aerial survey tallied just 10 remaining individuals in northern Cameroon, and
the odds of those individuals finding one another and breeding the population
back into health were infinitesimally small. It is frustrating to admit when
something natural is beyond any help, but, with our potential and the resources
available to us, this does not have to be the only option. We can still work to
save the world’s rhino species, and if we are truly concerned for their
well-being, there is nothing to stop us from protecting them.
The earth is a cruel place, and all species eventually go
extinct. What separates us, now in the 21st century, from those
Portuguese and Dutch explorers who killed and ate all that they discovered, is
that we have the awareness and the power to change the destiny of another species.
Now, more than ever, we need to realize this potential and be responsible for
the planet we are dismantling. What happened to the western black rhino is a
reason to pity, but more than anything it is a reason to take action.
To find out more about rhinoceros conservation and how we
can all help, visit these pages:
John R. Platt wrote a very detailed synopsis of the history of
the western black rhinoceros, including its extinction. Check it out here:
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