The conservation of the African rhinoceros has become one of the symbols of wildlife conservation in Africa and of the protection of its natural habitats. At a global level, the conservation of the rhinoceros is one of the emblems of the international efforts towards preserving biodiversity and striking a balance with the ever-pressing needs of economic development.

The conservation of rhinos faces complex dilemmas. The African rhinoceros have been brought to the verge of extinction by killing for sport, meat and their horns. The demand for rhino horns in markets far away from Africa has been the major threat to the declining rhino populations over the last few decades. However, threats to rhino populations often have deep roots. Wherever vast swaths of  savannahs are converted into agricultural land, there is no room for these megaherbivores. Likewise, poaching is not only due to the demand for rhino products in the Far East and in the Gulf, but is also linked to a complex set of factors among which poverty in Africa plays a major role.

There are two species of African rhinoceros: the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). There are two sub-species of the white rhino and four subspecies of the black rhino: both subspecies of white rhino and three subspecies of the black rhino occur in southern Africa.

Southern Africa today accounts for by far the largest number of rhinos on the continent. The few success stories of rhino conservation and many of its dramatic failures have taken place in southern Africa. The survival of rhinos and the expansion of their populations, goals much sought by conservationists world-wide, are unavoidably interwoven with the dilemmas of sustainable development faced by southern African countries.

 

SADC rhino range

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