Endangered Species: Northern White Rhino - Report Example

Endangered Species: Northern White Rhino Rhinos are large mammals currently among the big five of the wildlife. However, there are several species of rhinos each with specific habitat and natural requirements. The most common classification is based on the color of their skin and therefore we have the black and white rhinos. The black rhino is a commonly found mammal in the grassland savannah where the animal grazed. The animal has a shorter front horn and hence not a popular target for the ivory poachers. On the other hand, the white rhino has a longer horn and hence a target for poachers. The uncontrolled poaching has led to near extinction of the white rhino and hence it’s listing as an endangered species. Evolutionary Background The family Rhinocerotidae represents all the modern day rhinos that first appeared in the Late Eocene period in the Eurasia tectonic plate. Although the original members were small and numerous, the current members of the species are large mammals with adults weighing over one thousand kilos. The smaller species were entirely wiped out in the middle Oligocene period leaving only the Menoceras and Teleoceras of North America which were pig-size and with two horns side by side. These two species also became extinct during the Pliocene period. The modern rhinos have their original home in Asia and migrated to the rest of the world during the Miocene. This was followed by the emergence of the wooly rhinoceros in China one million years ago alongside the wooly mammoth. The ancestors of the two living African rhinos has been successfully traced back to late Miocene when the species Ceratotherium neumayri emerged. The divergence of this species during early Piocene saw the speciation effect and hence the emergence of Diceros praecox, the ancestor of the black Rhino and the Ceratotherium remained as the main ancestor of the white rhino. Northern White Rhino Classification Scientific Name: Ceratotherium simum cottoni Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Rhinocerotidae Genus: Ceratotherium Species: Simum Sub-species: Cottoni Common name: Northern White Rhino Relatives The closest living relatives of the Northern White Rhino is the Black African Rhino, Diceros bicornis with which the mammal can still mate and produce an offspring although the viability of the offspring has been questioned. The species is also closely related to the Indian Rhino, Rhinoceros unicornis which is single-horned. Region, Ecology, Habitat, and Diet The white rhino has its original home in the tropical grasslands. With climate change, the grasslands have shrunk to around the equatorial region and so has the distribution of the mammal. The Northern White Rhino is a grazer living in grassland savannah where there is plenty grass throughout the year. The common habitat is therefore in Eastern Africa mainly in Tanzania, Kenya and parts of Zimbabwe. Reproductive Processes Northern White Rhino, like the rest of the mammals, undergoes sexual reproduction. During the mating season, the dominant male in a herd of rhinos mounts on the females and with successful fertilization the females then undergo a gestational period of 16 months to give birth to a single offspring. Females mature to reproductive age within 6.5 - 7 years while the males take 10-12 years to be sexually mature. Population The population of Ceratotherium simum cottoni decreased from 2,230 in 1960 to about 30 individuals in 2002. This represented a drastic 98.7% decline in population which made the species threatened. These Rhinos have large horns that are rich in ivory and are thus still heavily hunted for their horns, and, therefore, must be heavily guarded in the wild. The mammals have very short eyesight and, therefore, become an easy target for poachers who hunt it for horns and even meat. Currently, there are only 5 members of the species remaining in the world. One is in USA, three females, and one male are in Africa. The species is therefore critically endangered and all efforts are targeted towards protecting the animal and trying to breed it. Protection The sharp decline of the Ceratotherium simum cottoni population over the last three decades made the species e identified and listed as endangered on 06/02/1970. This was after the recognition that poachers were targeting the animal and killing it for its horns leaving very few to breed. Ever since, the world has been increasingly involved in the protection of the rhino with several campaigns being launched. Measures to repopulate the mammal in South Africa were effective in 1960s, but the poaching menace depopulated the animal further in the years that followed. Currently, the remaining animals are heavily guarded. For instance, the 40 years old male in Kenya has guards protecting it every minute. On species recovery, studies are being done to seek a repopulation strategy using the surviving animals through artificial insemination procedures. Protecting the habitat has also been enhanced with the remaining species being held in conservancies and controlled environments. There is no identifiable safe-harbor agreement on the northern white rhino. Political and Social History Since the listing of the rhino as an endangered species, it has been the political responsibility of the respective governments where each of the members is to protect the animal. This means that each government has to control poaching and undertake a periodic survey to update the tally. Currently, the protection of the mammal is a global concern and the economic implication is high. This is because the animal now requires constant guarding. In Kenya, the surviving male rhino is protected by at least two guards at a time in Ol Pajeta Conservancy with the monthly cost of over US$1,500. The laws stipulate a sentence of not less than five years of imprisonment for people who not put the life of the animal at risk. These include potential poachers and even the wardens who neglect the animals. Governments, the international community, animal right groups, wildlife services and the international heritage agencies are all greatly involved in the protection of the rhino. From a thorough research, this species appears to have no political or social controversies surrounding its conservation. Summary The species is of great biological importance. The animal’s poor survival qualities including heavy weight that makes mating difficult and short eyesight that makes it vulnerable to poaching and danger are an important consideration. With the long gestational period and single littering, the repopulation efforts are difficult tom achieve since the remaining animals are old. The protection of the animals is also linked to the conservation of the habitat it occupies which is also endangered. There are no known social or cultural symbolism indicated in all the sources researched. Protecting the rhino is worth every single effort. This is because it occupies an important part of the wildlife tourism which is a source of income for many countries. With the undergoing studies and conservation efforts, it is likely that the population of the Northern White Rhino in the world will increase to above 30 individuals in the next 100 years. Works cited Ceratotherium simum. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/4185/0 Northern White Rhinos. http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/wildlife_conservation/northern-white-rhinos US Fish and Wildlife Services. Environmental Conservation Online System. http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A025 White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) Fact Sheet, 2003. http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/whiterhino Read More