Historic and Current Range of the Greater One Horn Rhinoceros
Indian Rhinoceros and calf
at the Buffalo Zoo
The Indian Rhino is one of the largest species of rhinoceros. It can be 6⅓ feet tall, 13½ feet long and can weigh between 3,500 lbs to 8,000 lbs. It has a single horn which begins growing around the age of six. The animal has, along with it's cousin the Sunda, the distinctive skin folds that look like a suit of armor and very little body hair.
They are primarily grazing animals primarily subsisting on grasses though the will eat leaves and branches. It has also been observed eating the invasive plant, the South American water hyacinth. Like all but the African White the Indian Rhino has a prehensile upper lip which it uses to grasp food items when feeding.
Javan Rhinoceros or Lesser One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
More properly called the Sunda Rhinoceros, the Sunda was at one time the most widely distributed of the rhinoceros species. Once Ranging from China, India, and throughout southeast Asia, it is now critically endangered with only one known population and none in captivity. There are fewer than 100 of these once widespread animals left in the world.
The Sunda and the Indian are both members of the genus Rhinoceros which diverged from their parent species some 11.7 million years ago. Both animals display the folded skin that resembles a suit of armor and a single horn though the Sunda is perhaps 30% to 50% smaller than the Indian Rhino.
Historical and Current Range
of the Sunda Rhinoceros
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| As an indication of the incentive for poaching of rhino horns, consider that the wholesale value of Asian rhino horn increased from US $35/kg ($16/lb) in 1972 to $18,000/kg ($8000/lb) in 1991. The retail price, after the horn has been shaved or powdered for sale, has at times and in some East Asian markets exceeded $50,000/kg ($23,000/lb)¹. By contrast, in November 1996 pure gold was worth about $12,000/kg ($5500/lb) (about one quarter of the maximum value of rhino horn). (Nowak 1999)Web |
Sunda Rhino and Calf
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From the Wikipedia...
- Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus, the type subspecies, known as the Indonesian Javan Rhinoceros, once lived on Java and Sumatra. The population is now confined to as few as 40 animals in the wild, Ujung Kulon National Park on the western tip of the island of Java. One researcher has suggested that the Javan Rhino on Sumatra belonged to a distinct subspecies, R.s. floweri, but this is not widely accepted.[11]
- Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus, known as the Vietnamese Javan Rhinoceros or Vietnamese Rhinoceros, once lived across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and into Thailand and Malaysia. Annamiticus is derived from the Annamite Mountain Range in Southeast Asia, part of this subspecies's range. In 2006, a single population, estimated at fewer than 12 remaining rhinos, lived in an area of lowland forest in the Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam. Genetic analysis suggested that the this subspecies and the Indonesian Javan Rhinoceros last shared a common ancestor between 300,000 and 2 million years ago.[11][12] The last individual of this population was shot by a poacher in 2010.[13]
- Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis, known as the Indian Javan Rhinoceros, once ranged from Bengal to Burma, but is presumed to have gone extinct before 1925.[14] Inermis means unarmed, as the most distinctive characteristic of this sub-species is the small horns in males, and evident lack of horns in females. The original specimen of this species was a hornless female. The political situation in Burma has prevented assessment of the species in that country, but its survival is considered unlikely.[15][16][17]
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R. sondaicus is primarily a browser, feeding on twigs, leaves, fruit, and shoots. They will knock down saplings to reach the leaves and uses it's prehensile upper lip to grasp the food items like the Indian Rhino.
This video is a heartbreaking report on the fate of the Vietnamese Javan Rhinoceros
Of the three subspecies of R. sondaicus (R.s. inermis, R.s. annamiticus, and R.s. sondaicus) two are now extinct. With less than 50 mature individuals it will take extremely dedicated people and commited governments and non-governmental organizations to bring this species back from the brink.
Sumatran Rhinoceros or Hairy Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
Historic and current range
of the Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhino is the smallest species of rhinoceros weighing in at about 2,000 lbs. Like the Sunda it is critically endangered with an estimated to be less than 250 individuals.
The Sumatran's original range included areas as far west as the foothills of the Himalaya through China and down the southeast Asian peninsula through Malaysia and Borneo. Currently, two of the three species of the Sumatran rhino—the Western (D. s. sumatrensis) and Eastern D. s. harrissoni) —have known populations in Malaysia and Borneo, respectively. The third species, the Northern (D. s. lasiotis) is extinct in its known range of India and Bangaladesh though there may be a population in Burma but the political situation has made it impossible to determine whether this is true.
Sumatran Rhino with calf
The Sumatran Rhino is the most 'primative' of the rhinoceros species. That is, it shares more traits with its ancient ancestors than the other extant species. Scientists estimate that it diverged from the others in the Miocene era around 26 million years ago. Because of its physical similarities the Sumatran is believed to be closely related to Wooly Rhinoceros mentioned above. Recent molecular studies have supported this argument. In the photo to the left one can see the long hairs that are missing in the other species. In the wild the Sumatran generally do not appear as hirsute since the hairs catch and rub on the thick vegitation as it moves through the forrest.
African Rhinoceros
There are two recognized species of rhinoceros in Africa, the White and the Black Rhinoceros. As mentioned above, however, new scholarship suggests that the two subspecies of the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) and (Ceratotherium simum simum) are quite likely two different species separated from their ancestor species by at least 1 million years. Below is a map from the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species of the current and historic ranges for both species of the African Rhinoceros.
Current Range of the Black Rhinoceros
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Current Range of the White Rhinoceros
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White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
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The story of the African White Rhinoceros is one of success and failure in the wild. As I've mentioned previously there are two subspecies of the White, the Southern (Ceratotherium simum simum) and the Northern (Ceratotherium simum cottoni). The former is classified as near threatened on the IUCN Redlist and is increasing its population in the wild. The later is quite probably extinct in the wild and classified by the Redlist as critically endangered.
The White Rhinoceros is a grazing animal. That is, it subsists on grasses. It is differentiated from all the other species of rhinoceros in that it does not have the prehensile upper lip of its relatives. As implied by its diet the White Rhino lives on grasslands and savannahs and is, perhaps, the largest grazing animal in the world.
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Poaching and civil wars in both Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Sudan have had a devastating impact on Northern White Rhino. Whilst poaching pressure initially increased during civil unrest and war in the late 1990s, good reproduction enabled the population to remain relatively stable. However, since 2003, poaching escalated and the population declined rapidly with 11 carcasses found in a three-month period between March and May 2004. Confirmed numbers of Northern White Rhino fell from 30 individuals in April 2003 to just four in August 2005. No live rhino have been seen since 2006 or signs of live rhino (spoor or dung) reported since 2007 despite intensive systematic foot surveys. It is believed that the Northern White Rhino has probably gone extinct in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.IUCN
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Northern White Rhinoceros (
Ceratotherium simum cottoni)
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On December 20th, 2009, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy welcomed four special new arrivals to the conservancy. Najin, Fatu (pictured), Sudan and Suni are four of the world’s last remaining eight Northern White Rhinos. All of the animals were translocated from Dvur Kralove Zoo, which up until late 2009, had been their home in the Czech RepublicOPC. |
The last four Northern White Rhinoceros in the wild were poached from the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008. There are now only seven left in the world. Four of them are being held at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. There are two Northern Whites at the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic and two are at the San Diego Zoo.
It is certainly a human trait to give names to our animal charges, but it is terribly sad to be able to recite the names of all the Northern White Rhinoceros in the world. Najin, Fatu, Sudan and Suni were all relocated to Kenya while Nabire remained at Dvur Kralove. Nesari, a long time resident of Dvur Kralove, died at the age of 39 this past June. Nola and a male named Angalifu are at the San Diego Zoo. A third, Nadi, died at the zoo in May of 2007. |
Poachers Kill Last Four Wild Northern White Rhinos
17-Jun-08 8:00 AM CST The last four northern white rhinoceros remaining in the wild are feared to have been killed for their horns by poachers and are now believed to be extinct in the wild. Only a few are left in captivity but they are difficult to breed and the number is so low that the species is regarded as biologically unviable.
The outlook for other types of rhino, including the endangered African black rhino, was more optimistic yesterday however. Figures released by the IUCN, the international conservation body that assesses threats to wildlife, showed that the number of wild rhinos had increased to its highest level for decades.
The northern white rhino, Ceratotherium simum cottoni, has been struggling for suvival since the 1970s, when numbers dropped from about 500 to 15. A slight recovery was recorded in 2003 when 30 were counted but by 2006 only four were left. All of them were recorded in the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo but war and civil unrest in the region has led to an increase in poachers.
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Southern White Rhinoceros (
Ceratotherium simum simum)
As sad as the status of the Northern White is, the story of the Southern White is quite the different. Considering that by the end of the 19th century South African farmers and hunters decimated the rhino like the American bison which left perhaps 200 or so Southern White Rhinoceros in the wild, conservation efforts with respect to the Southern White have been staggeringly successful. Now, there are an estimated 17,000 White Rhino now and they are now being introduced into other areas of its former range. Due to the efforts of the government of South Africa to protect these animals there are now more Southern White Rhino than all the other rhinoceros species combined.
One of the reasons for the Southern White's rebound is that it is and has been successfully bred in captivity. Where the other species are less fecund, captured Southern White Rhinos readily breed if enough space and sufficient food is available, though captive born females exhibit very low rates of reproduction. The ability to manage stocks in this way has made conservation efforts, particularly in South Africa, very effective.
From the Wikipedia...
| There are smaller reintroduced populations within the historical range of the species in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, while a small population survives in Mozambique. Populations have also been introduced outside of the former range of the species to Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. |
Black Rhinoceros or Hook-lipped Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
So we come at last to the Black Rhinoceros. There were four, now three extant, subspecies of the African Black Rhinoceros. The current estimated population of this species is about 3,600 animals. There are now 3 subspecies of the African Black Rhinoceros since the recently announced extinction of the Western Black (B.b longipes).
Baby Black Rhinoceros
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The South-central (Diceros bicornis minor): These rhinos are currently the most numerous of the Black Rhinoceros with about 1,700 adult individuals in the countries of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and northeastern South Africa. It is considered critically endangered by the IUCN.
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South-western (Diceros bicornis bicornis): The South-western Black is habituated to the arid and semi-arid savannahs of Namibia, southern Angola, Botswana, and western South Africa. It is rated as a vulnerable species with approximately 1,000 adult individuals. I expect that the favorable rating is due to the strong conservations efforts and political control that South Africa can exert over its territory.
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East African (Diceros bicornis michaeli): The East African Rhino originally ranged through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and north central Tanzania. It is also considered critically endangered by the IUCN. In the last three generations 90% of the existing East African Rhinoceros have been lost. There are now about 500 animals left primarily in Kenya. There is some hope for D.b. michaeli as their numbers have been increasing in both Kenya and Tanzania though pressure from poaching is still a major concern—the increases could have been larger.
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West African (Diceros bicornis longipes): The news of the extinction of the West African Rhinoceros is what prompted me to this study of rhinoceros. The Western Black ranged over the belt of savannahs and bushlands of west central Africa (Camaroon, Central African Republic, northern Rawanda). The last known population in Camaroon have not been seen since 2006. http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
The Black Rhinoceros is a browser. Utilizing its prehensile upper lip it feeds on bushes (leaves and twigs), grasses, shoots, and fruits. Though not as large as the African White it is more skittish—more likely to charge, but I would suggest that you not test that assertion :) It inhabits grasslands, savannahs, and bushland areas.
Through most of the 20th century the Black was the most numerous of all the rhinoceros with estimates of perhaps several hundreds of thousands the early in the last century. By the end of the century (2000) it was down to a few thousand.
There is hope that family Rhinocerotidae will not become extinct. The Southern White (C.s. simum), the three remaining sub-species of the Black (B.b. bicornis, B.b. michaeli and B.b minor), and the Indian Rhinoceros (R. unicornis) will likely survive. The future for the Javan (R. sondaicus), Sumatran (D. sumatrensis), and Northern White (C.s. cottoni) is not so rosy. Their numbers are now so low that inbreeding is inevitable and while that may not be fatal it doesn't help the robustness of the species. It will still take dedicated scientists, political stability and autonomy in wildlife friendly countries, the managerial expertise and fund raising ability of NGOs, and the generosity of just plain folk to turn that hope into reality.
Most of all, however, the people that live day in and day out with the rhinoceros and the other wild creatures, people that depend on the natural world to provide the physical and spiritual sustenance we all require, have to want to protect that birthright. They must believe that protecting nature will not impoverish them, that their children's futures will be brighter when they consider nature as an asset. I'll leave you now with a wonderful video Milking the Rhino. It is about an hour long but well worth the time. Their website is here. Here are a few snippets from the film.
Footnotes
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The price of rhinoceros horn is now $30,000+ per pound.
