Rhino extinction in Africa

ZSL has a major focus on conservation of rhino and has contributed to the improvements made in the recovery of many populations.

The rhinoceros as a genus are all critically endangered bar the southern white rhino, which although still threatened has shown remarkable recovery.

However, ZSL conservation staff recently attended a meeting of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Swaziland that confirmed that two subspecies have been reported as most probably extinct (northern black in Cameroon) or no longer viable (the northern White rhino in Congo).

The reasons for failure to conserve these animals are complex, but demonstrate how important it is that conservation continues.

ZSL has a long history in supporting the recovery of rhino in Kenya, from planning conservation and metapopulation management, to establishing veterinary and animal translocation teams in the wildlife authority, and training to build field staff in tracking rhinos and collecting accurate demographic data.