Tattoo by Gareth Putter
Although white rhinos are the most plentiful of the five rhino species today, they haven’t always been. In fact, they were even considered extinct until 1895, when a small population of less than 100 was found in South Africa. A century of intense conservation efforts was able to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Now listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, white rhinos are once again facing uncertain future.
Numbering around 17,000 individuals today, their population is quickly dwindling. Hundreds were poached in 2010, highlighting an exponentially increasing trend that has been observed over the last few years. They are killed for one reason only: their highly valuable horn. The demand for their horn comes almost exclusively from Asia–especially from China and Vietnam–where it is used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of conditions, even the common cold and devil possession. This practice continues despite scientific studies that have proven the keratinous horn–made of the same substance as our own hair and nails–to be void of any curative properties.
Made up of two subspecies, the Northern and the Southern, the former has been effectively wiped out. Today, only four Northern White Rhinos remain, all of which live in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The white rhino is especially targeted by poachers because it has the largest horn of all rhino species. The situation is desperate and the outlook is grim. Although these animals are largely confined to “protected areas”, like national parks and reserves, their safety is gravely compromised by this illegal trade.
To learn more, click here. Also, check out 25 rhino-tastic facts here!
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Remember: Tattoos are forever… and so is extinction. To see all of the FANTASTIC art featured on Bush Warriors Tattoo of the Day, and to learn more about this initiative, please click here. You can also share photos of your own wildlife tattoos and enjoy others’ at our Facebook group, Bush Warriors Inked Nation for Conservation.
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