The world's black rhino numbers have increased, but there's bad news for others
It said that black rhino numbers went up from 6,195 to 6,788 in the latest estimates. White rhinos had declined, however, from 15,942 to 15,752 since the last count in 2021. Black and white rhinos are only found in the wild in Africa.
The number of greater one-horned rhinos, found in northern India and Nepal, rose slightly from 4,014 to 4,075.
But Javan rhinos have declined from an estimated 76 to just 50, the foundation said, and that was entirely due to poaching. There is only one known population of Javan rhinos left — at a national park on the Indonesian island of Java.
The Sumatran rhino population stands at just 34 to 47 animals, around the same as previous estimates.
The global population for all rhinos is approximately 26,700.
The International Rhino Foundation says it gets its figures from counts by specialist rhino groups at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global authority on endangered species. It does not count rhinos in zoos, only those in the wild or in national parks.
The rhino foundation said there were worrying new trends from South Africa, which has more rhinos than anywhere else. There, the average number of rhinos in individual populations was below what conservationists recommend to maintain a viable population.
It also said a new rhino horn trafficking route was emerging between South Africa and Mongolia, and Qatar was becoming a growing hub for horn trafficking. Rhino poaching is still a major problem in South Africa and elsewhere to feed the illegal market for rhino horn products in parts of Asia. South Africa loses between 400 and 500 rhinos a year to poaching.
It is often looking for new ways to deter poachers and one group of scientists launched a project last week to inject radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. The scientists say it's harmless for the animals but allows horns to be detected by border authorities when they are being smuggled.
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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Latest rhino count a mixed bag for world's five species
The latest global rhino count shows a mixed bag for the world's five rhino species in Africa and Asia. The numbers of Black rhinos, found only in the wild in eastern and southern Africa, grew from 6,195 to 6,788. That's according to a report published Thursday by rhino specialist groups and commissioned by the CITES secretariat. The increase of 593 animals is "a win for this critically imperiled species," the International Rhino Foundation said in reaction to the report. The global population estimates don't include rhinos in zoos but rather only those in the wild or in national parks. The number of greater one-horned rhinos, native to northern India and southern Nepal, also nudged upwards slightly from 4,014 to 4,075. The greater one-horned rhino is a conservation success story — only around 200 of them remained in India at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, the largest rhino species on earth is considered to be in recovery, the report finds. Indonesia's rhino species on critically endangered But there is bad news for other rhino species. Southeast Asia's rhino species, which are only found in Indonesia, "remain on the edge of extinction," according to the report. The population of the Sumatran rhinos is virtually unchanged from 2022 estimates, with just 34-47 animals remaining. The smallest and only hairy rhino species in found mostly in the dense tropical forest and lowland swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Poaching and habitat loss from palm oil plantations seriously threatens their survival. And the number of Javan rhinos has dropped significantly from an estimated 76 to just around 50, due entirely to poaching. There is only one known population of Javan rhinos left, at a national park on the Indonesian island of Java. White rhinos at risk from poaching In Africa, the number of white rhinos fell from 15,942 to 15,752. That's a drop of 190 animals since the last count in 2021, primarily due to increased poaching pressure, extended droughts and management limitations, the report says. Globally, the illegal trade in rhino horn has decreased in recent years. South Africa sees marked rise in rhino poaching But the rhino report stressed that poaching was taking on a worrying new trend in South Africa, which has more rhinos than anywhere else. At least 91 rhinos killed in South Africa in the first quarter of 2025 alone. South Africa currently accounts for two-thirds of illegal rhino horns seized around the word, with most headed for Malaysia and Vietnam. It is often looking for new ways to deter poachers and one group of scientists launched a project last week to inject radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. The scientists say it's harmless for the animals but allows horns to be detected by border authorities when they are being smuggled. Edited by: Wesley Dockery
San Francisco Chronicle
19 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The world's black rhino numbers have increased but there's bad news for others
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The number of critically endangered black rhinos has increased slightly, but there is bad news for other rhino species, according to a global count released Thursday by the International Rhino Foundation. It said that black rhino numbers went up from 6,195 to 6,788 in the latest estimates. White rhinos had declined, however, from 15,942 to 15,752 since the last count in 2021. Black and white rhinos are only found in the wild in Africa. The number of greater one-horned rhinos, found in northern India and Nepal, rose slightly from 4,014 to 4,075. But Javan rhinos have declined from an estimated 76 to just 50, the foundation said, and that was entirely due to poaching. There is only one known population of Javan rhinos left — at a national park on the Indonesian island of Java. The Sumatran rhino population stands at just 34-47 animals, around the same as previous estimates. The global population for all rhinos is approximately 26,700. The International Rhino Foundation says it gets its figures from counts by specialist rhino groups at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the global authority on endangered species. It does not count rhinos in zoos, only those in the wild or in national parks. The rhino foundation said there were worrying new trends from South Africa, which has more rhinos than anywhere else. There, the average number of rhinos in individual populations was below what conservationists recommend to maintain a viable population. It also said a new rhino horn trafficking route was emerging between South Africa and Mongolia, and Qatar was becoming a growing hub for horn trafficking. Rhino poaching is still a major problem in South Africa and elsewhere to feed the illegal market for rhino horn products in parts of Asia. South Africa loses between 400 and 500 rhinos a year to poaching. It is often looking for new ways to deter poachers and one group of scientists launched a project last week to inject radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. The scientists say it's harmless for the animals but allows horns to be detected by border authorities when they are being smuggled.
Los Angeles Times
20 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
The world's black rhino numbers have increased, but there's bad news for others
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The number of critically endangered black rhinos has increased slightly, but there is bad news for other rhino species, according to a global count released Thursday by the International Rhino Foundation. It said that black rhino numbers went up from 6,195 to 6,788 in the latest estimates. White rhinos had declined, however, from 15,942 to 15,752 since the last count in 2021. Black and white rhinos are only found in the wild in Africa. The number of greater one-horned rhinos, found in northern India and Nepal, rose slightly from 4,014 to 4,075. But Javan rhinos have declined from an estimated 76 to just 50, the foundation said, and that was entirely due to poaching. There is only one known population of Javan rhinos left — at a national park on the Indonesian island of Java. The Sumatran rhino population stands at just 34 to 47 animals, around the same as previous estimates. The global population for all rhinos is approximately 26,700. The International Rhino Foundation says it gets its figures from counts by specialist rhino groups at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global authority on endangered species. It does not count rhinos in zoos, only those in the wild or in national parks. The rhino foundation said there were worrying new trends from South Africa, which has more rhinos than anywhere else. There, the average number of rhinos in individual populations was below what conservationists recommend to maintain a viable population. It also said a new rhino horn trafficking route was emerging between South Africa and Mongolia, and Qatar was becoming a growing hub for horn trafficking. Rhino poaching is still a major problem in South Africa and elsewhere to feed the illegal market for rhino horn products in parts of Asia. South Africa loses between 400 and 500 rhinos a year to poaching. It is often looking for new ways to deter poachers and one group of scientists launched a project last week to inject radioactive material into the horns of rhinos. The scientists say it's harmless for the animals but allows horns to be detected by border authorities when they are being smuggled.
