There is a special interest in rhinoceros horns in Asian countries where it is used for various purposes, such as a cure for cancer. Black rhinos, in particular, were decimated in the 20th century for sport, and there was no bounce back before mass alterations to their ecosystems became commonplace. Wars taking place in their range also exacerbate the problem. Rhinoceroses are still going extinct because of habitat loss and poaching. Poachers did away with the individuals left after their home range was further strangled. The last sighting of the western black rhino was in 2003 within their only habitat left in Cameroon. It was recommended in 2006 that the western black rhino be declared extinct, but the IUCN puts a 5-year waiting period on extinction designations to make sure they’re gone, and no new individuals will be spotted. In 2011, the western black rhino was declared extinct by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Extant black rhino subspecies are the eastern black rhino, the south-central rhino, and the southwestern rhinoceros. The most recent extinction is that of the western black rhino, although the southern black rhino, the northeastern black rhinoceros, and most likely the Chobe black rhinoceros are extinct.īlack rhinos as a species are listed as critically endangered. Yes, 4 out of 7 types of black rhinos are extinct in the wild. What about black rhinos? Are any black rhinoceroses extinct? Is the Black Rhino Extinct? Four out of seven types of black rhinos are extinct in the wild. Today, there are less than 30,000 wild rhinos, and a few subspecies have gone extinct. Those that are not within the boundaries of a protected area usually don’t survive. They’re still under direct threat from poaching and habitat destruction, and almost all of the extant rhinos today live in reserves and national parks. In the 20th century, 500,000 rhinos existed.īy the 1970s, that number had dropped to around 70 thousand individuals. There are rock paintings from Niger that show rhinoceroses from 2000 BC. Rhinos are not endemic to Africa, and before they were poached to the brink of extinction, they roamed Europe, Asia, and Africa. Black rhinos have been the most imperiled, which begs the question are black rhinos extinct?

There are also 3 Asian rhino species: great one-horned rhinos, Javan rhinoceroses, and Sumatran rhinos. There are two species of African rhinoceroses: white rhinos and black rhinos. The Biggest Alligator ever Found in South…

Western black rhinoceros extinct facts