Announced by the World Wildlife Fund in 2010, World Rhino Day was then expanded into a global phenomenon by two women who wanted to raise awareness for the dwindling number of rhinos throughout the world.There are five species of Rhinos in the world: Sumatran, white, Javan, black and the greater one-horned. All species of rhinos are currently listed as endangered or vulnerable due to criminal poaching in Asia and Africa. Rhino horns, usually sought and sold for their monetary value, make rhinos defenseless targets being pushed toward extinction. According to statistics from Wild Aid, all of the wild rhinos in the world could fit into Wembley Stadium.
While the state of rhinos is alarming, there have also been great gains made in preserving the species. White Rhinos were brought back from the brink of extinction, making the species survival one of the greatest conservation stories in history. The population of black rhinos has more than doubled since 1994 while the greater one-horned rhino species has recovered from extinction, recording a total of 3,300 in the world today. The other two species, Sumatran and Javan, which both have fewer than 100 rhinos alive, are also growing in population.
With the very small population of rhinos, it’s imperative to ensure that our mascot-sake survives on this planet. In addition to ten reasons to save rhinos, savetherhino.org offers tips as to how we can help one of earth’s biggest land mammals.
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Donate towards much-needed anti-poaching equipment and support.
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Report any suspicious activity to the authorities, if you suspect someone is selling/buying rhino horn products.
- Become a member of Save the Rhino and join the struggle.
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Become an ambassador for rhinos by fundraising and raising awareness with you friends, family, fellow students and work colleagues.
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Spread the word! Share this page on your social networking site to make other people aware of the problems.
