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Endangered species of the month

Black Rhinoceros

Some facts about this species:

Shoulder height: 1.4–1.7 m

Weight: 800–1400 kg

Total length: 3–3.7 m

Habitat: Bushlands, riverine woodland, marshes, and sometimes grasslands.

Distribution: Formerly found across most of southern Africa, Black Rhinos can be found in the eastern coast, south of the Horn of Africa and throughout southern tip of the continent. The animal has been reintroduced into some environments further inland.

Diet: Herbivore: leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit.

Surviving number: Less than 5,000. Three subspecies have become extinct since 1850. One specimen of D. b. chobiensis survives in Botswana. D. b. ladoensis may live in Kenyan reserves. D. b. occidentalis mostly lives in a Botswanan reserve. D. b. michaeli exists in parts of Tanzania. D. b. minor is the only widespread subspecies, having been reintroduced into Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia in addition to reserves and natural environments.

Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1).

First described: By the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus in Systema naturae, 1758.