Losing 60 Million Years of Evolution?
Dozens of species of rhinos once roamed the Earth, but only five exist today. All of them
are threatened, and most are in grave danger. Humans have driven these remnants of the
world's prehistoric ages to the edge of extinction. On the savannas of Africa, there were
approximately 100,000 black rhinos in 1960. Today there are fewer than 2,600. In Southeast
Asia, Javan rhinos have disappeared from nearly all of their former range; they number
fewer than 85 in the wild today. While this unprecedented loss has been due in part to
habitat destruction and fragmentation, the major cause of death has been poaching to satisfy
demand for rhino horn for use in traditional Asian medicines and as decorative dagger
handles in the Middle East. Innovative approaches are needed to stop this assault on the world's rhinos. As land-use
changes continue to threaten the long-term survival of the species, urgent measures must
be employed to combat habitat loss. Support of traditional antipoaching efforts must be
expanded. And while strengthening enforcement of wildlife trade controls is essential, it
is critical that the marketplace demand for rhino horn products be eliminated.
WWF Responds
WWF is the principal international conservation organization tackling the rhino crisis on
every front-from stepping up protection and support for protected areas and rhino reserves,
to stopping poaching and illegal trade in rhino horn, to working with traditional medicine
communities to stem demand for rhino-based products. WWF works with concerned parties at
every level, from local communities to national governments to international institutions.
WWF seeks partnerships with other organizations working to save the rhino, and bases its
conservation strategies on the latest scientific research, technology, and information.
Building on lessons learned in the field, WWF delivers appropriate resources and technical
assistance where they are most needed.
Rhinos are one of four highly endangered species groups targeted for accelerated
attention during WWF's Living Planet Campaign, a campaign that aims to make the last days
of this century a turning point in the worldwide struggle to preserve species and habitats.
WWF's rhino conservation goals are:
to stabilize and foster increases in current rhino population levels in the short term (1-3 years)
to secure positive growth trends in rhino populations in the medium term (3-10 years)
to conserve viable populations of rhino species and subspecies within their natural ranges in the long term (10-20 years).
A Three-Tiered Strategy for Rhino Conservation
WWF's rhino conservation goals present significant challenges and require a
multidisciplinary strategy:
(1) Protecting Wild Rhinos
The immediate protection of rhinos where they live is a high priority, and action at the
local level is critical. Supporting antipoaching measures and the monitoring and management
of rhinos in the wild will continue to be a cornerstone of WWF's strategy to conserve
rhinos. Experience has shown that sponsorship of community- based natural resource
management programs produces results: reestablishing the balance between local people and
the natural resources around them fosters true stewardship and helps reduce poaching.
Promoting innovative land-use measures, such as the establishment of special conservancies
where private landowners join together to share both responsibility for and the benefits
from rhinos, has proved to be another successful conservation approach.
WWF Responds