World Rhino Day : there are now just 4,800 black rhino individuals left in the wild-UN ENVIRONMENT

World Rhino Day : there are now just 4,800 black rhino individuals left in the wild-UN ENVIRONMENT

By Houmi Ahamed-Mikidache

About 96 percent  of black rhinos were lost to large-scale poaching between 1970 and 1992, according to UN Environment. Although numbers have recovered since, today there are now just 4,800 black rhino individuals left in the wild. Rhino populations and sub-species have disappeared entirely from several Asian and African countries in recent years recalled the UN Environment. In 2011, the Western Black Rhino was declared extinct, and there is only a single surviving individual of the Northern white rhino.

International Trade is strictly prohibited. All five species of rhinos, two in Africa and three in Asia are included in CITES  (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species).

One of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 15 is to: “Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.”