Understanding Rhinos Worldwide
One of the most fascinating and definitely one of the biggest land creatures that exist today are rhinoceroses. Despite this, it's possible that many of us are unaware of the number and whereabouts of rhinos on Earth. There are five different species of rhinoceros, and they can only be found on Asia and Africa. Three species of rhinos, the Greater one-horned or Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), the Lesser one-horned or Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus; sometimes known as the Sunda rhino), and the Sumatran rhino, are found on the continent of Asia (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). African White rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) and African Black rhinos, on the other hand, are protected there (Diceros bicornis). We want to learn more about these endangered species, so let's start with the rhinos that live in Africa.
The Two African Rhinos
Rhinoceros is derived from the Greek word rhinokeros, which means "nose-horned" (rhinó is the Greek word for nose, and ceros is the Greek word for horn). It's noteworthy to notice that each of the remaining three rhino species belongs to a different genus, with the exception of the Indian and Javan rhinos. African White rhinos and Black rhinos are members of the Ceratotherium and Diceros genera, respectively. Although the two species split off from one another over 14 million years ago, their common names are still incorrect.
The Afrikaans term wyd/weit, which means "wide" and relates to the rhino's big, square-lipped mouth, is where the name "African White Rhino" comes from. It is thought that the incorrect naming of rhinos resulted from English naturalists misinterpreting the Afrikaans term as "white." In reality, both White and Black rhinos are shades of gray. More than two small vehicles' worth of weight—more than 3 tonnes—are known to be carried by African White rhinos!
The Southern White rhinoceros (C. s. simum) and the Northern White rhinoceros are the two subspecies of the African White rhino that are currently recognized (C. s. cottoni). Nearly 98.8% of the Southern White rhino population, as determined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is concentrated in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. African White rhinos are the heaviest species in the world and may be found roaming the African savannas along with other giant creatures.
In contrast, the African Black rhino is smaller than the White rhino and is most known for its hooked upper lip. Black rhinos are browsers because of their pointed lips, which help them eat leaves from bushes and trees, unlike White rhinos who graze on low-lying grass. Black rhinos also have two horns, which is a unique trait that has earned them the particular epithet bicornis in their scientific name. More diverse habitats than White rhinos are home to these double-horned ungulates, including semi-desert and desert areas, tropical grasslands, woodlands, forests, and wetlands. Only three of the seven recognized subspecies of the African Black rhino are still alive today. These include the South-western black rhino, the Eastern black rhino, and the South Central black rhino (D. b. minor) (D. b. occidentalis).
The Three Asian Rhinos
Now that we are knowledgeable about African rhinos, it is time to turn our attention to their Asian cousins. The Greater One-Horned Rhino (Indian Rhino), Javan (Lesser One-Horned) Rhino, and Sumatran Rhino are the three Asian rhino species, and they can only be found in south and south-east Asia, in the nations of Indonesia, Nepal, and India, as well as on the island of Borneo.
The Latin words uni, which means one, and cornis, which means horn, are combined to form the scientific name for the Indian rhino, Rhinoceros unicornis. Of the three rhino species found in Asia, the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros is the biggest. It can be found in the riverine woods and alluvial Terai-Duar grasslands, which are located at the foot of the Himalayas and straddle Nepal and India. This species is primarily found in the Assam Brahmaputra valley in India, as well as the Terai grasslands in Nepal. The Indian rhino and the African White rhino are both considered to be the world's two largest rhino species. When it comes to Asia's largest creatures, the Indian rhino is only surpassed by the Asian elephant! They are able to move at rates of up to 55 km/h despite their immense weight. Given their size and weight, it is hard to imagine that they are grazers whose diet consists primarily of grass, with sporadic additions of fruits, leaves from shrubs and trees, and aquatic plants.
The Javan rhino, often referred to as the Lesser one-horned rhino, is a scaled-down variation of the Indian rhino. Similar to Indian rhinos, they have loose skin folds that give them an armor-plated look. Only the tropical forests of Indonesia's island of Java are home to Javan rhinos at the moment. On the other side, Borneo and Sumatra's lowlands and highlands are home to deep tropical and subtropical forests where you can see Sumatran rhinoceros. In fact, Sumatran rhinos are the smallest species of rhinos and the only two-horned rhinos in Asia.
The three rhinos of Asia have several characteristics while being different species. They are visually impaired, but their sense of smell is exceptionally good; in fact, they occasionally converse by sniffing each other's feces. Asian rhinos are quite fond of muck, just like their African relatives, and they also make good swimmers. Talk about easily fording a river! Last but not least, it is important to emphasize that anthropogenic factors like poaching, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation are endangering all three Asian rhinos.
Rhinos in Danger
There are few few species on the earth that are as threatened as rhinos when it comes to dangers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed three of the five rhinos as "Critically Endangered." The largest threat to rhinos worldwide is poaching and illegal wildlife trading. African rhinos are on the verge of going extinct because to the illegal rhino horn trade in Vietnam and China, which is being pushed by irrational consumer demand. Similar to elephant ivory, rhino horns are now considered a status symbol and a sign of wealth. The horns are also thought to treat cancer, serve as a nutritional supplement, and even help with hangovers!
"Rhino poaching levels reached historic highs in 2015, with poachers killing at least 1,300 rhinos in Africa," according to WWF. In South Africa in 2017, 691 rhinos were killed by poachers. This problem also applies to Indian rhinos; it is estimated that between 2013 and 2018, close to 100 rhinos were killed in India for their horns, which were to be utilized in traditional Chinese remedies.
Climate change has made the Brahmaputra river's floods more severe, which is a concern to Indian rhinos. Other threats include habitat loss, encroachment, and livestock overgrazing. Over 2,700 of the more than 3,700 Indian rhinos that are now living worldwide are found in India. With 2,613 rhinos, Assam leads the list, followed by West Bengal, which recently counted 135 rhinos.
On the other hand, the Javan and Sumatran rhinos struggle with threats like habitat loss and fragmentation. Less than 70 Javan rhinos and less than 80 Sumatran rhinos remain in the wild, which is a critically low number for both species. Most of these creatures' former home ranges have been destroyed by man because he has forced them into such a small spot. There has been a global tendency of containing animals within a specific area. There is no other way to coexist with animals except to engage with nature and better safeguard wild ecosystems, which are the very source of all natural richness. Now is the time to safeguard both the species and the environment.