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https://theconversation.com/the-near-extinction-of-rhinos-is-at-risk-of-being-normalised-265792>
"The latest annual
State Of The Rhino report, released this week by the
International Rhino Foundation, shows no dramatic declines in population
numbers in the past year. On the surface, this might seem like good news: after
decades of poaching, habitat loss and trafficking, rhino numbers are holding
steady.
But that stability masks something darker. We may be falling victim to what
conservation scientists call “shifting baseline syndrome”, where our
expectations deteriorate over time as conditions get worse. Accepting 27,000 as
a new normal – something to be celebrated, even – could spell disaster for the
long-term future of the rhino.
The report tracks population estimates, threats and conservation progress for
all five rhino species:
In Africa, black rhinos numbers have risen slightly to 6,788 (from 6,195), a
welcome recovery from the 1990s when they plummeted to just 2,300. But as
recently as 1960 there were more than 100,000. White rhinos, the most numerous
species, fell to 15,752 (from 17,464). This continues a long-term decline,
despite continued efforts to reduce poaching.
In Asia, greater one-horned rhino edged up to 4,075 (from 4,014), but the
number of Sumataran rhinos remains perilously low at between 34 and 47, while
Javan rhinos have crashed to 50 down from 76 due to illegal hunting.
The report also highlights concerns that rhinos in South Africa – home to most
of the world’s rhinos – face long-term genetic risks from inbreeding and will
struggle to adapt to change. South Africa’s rhino now survive only in fenced
reserves, unable to roam naturally, and therefore live mostly in isolated small
populations. "
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
