A black rhino (illustration). - NEWMAN MARK / SIPA

It is a ray of hope. The African black rhinoceros, of which there are less than 6,000 individuals at large, saw its population recover slowly between 2012 and 2018. The species remains however in critical danger of extinction, specifies this Thursday the International Union for the conservation of nature (IUCN) when updating its Red List. This lists 116,177 species of which 31,030 are threatened with extinction.

While Africa's rhinos are by no means safe from extinction, the continued slow recovery of Black Rhino populations is a powerful reminder that conservation works. - IUCN Acting Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar https://t.co/DP6UQN02Jh @IUCNRedList pic.twitter.com/swcStQaxsb

- IUCN (@IUCN) March 20, 2020

Limited progression

The number of black rhinos roaming free in Africa thus increased slightly, by 2.5% per year, from 4,845 animals to 5,630. Forecasts indicate "limited progress over the next five years," says IUCN, which calls for a stronger fight against poaching.

"If rhinoceroses in Africa are not saved from extinction in any case, the slow and continuous increase in black rhino populations illustrates the enormous efforts made by the countries" where they live, said Grethel Aguilar, Acting Director General of the 'IUCN, cited in a press release. This development is largely due to stricter laws and population management, with rhino movements from one population to another to promote their reproduction. There are three subspecies of black rhino, one is "near threatened" and the other two are "critically endangered".

The “almost threatened” white rhino

In addition, the white rhinoceros, whose population is larger, remains considered to be "almost threatened" according to the IUCN classification. The population of the southern white rhino subspecies declined by around 15% between 2012 and 2017 (18,000 individuals), largely due to poaching in Kruger Park in South Africa. The northern white rhino is “critically endangered” or even “extinct in the wild”.

According to IUCN, the white rhino is more threatened by poaching because its horn is larger. It also prefers more open habitats where it is more identifiable than the black rhino.

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