Guwahati: With its thick grey skin and conspicuous horn on its snout, almost every kid in the globe should be able to recognise this magnificent creature — the rhinoceros. However, it is critically endangered in the wild and is on the verge of extinction unless anything is done to save this species. As a result, World Rhino Day is celebrated on September 22. It aims to make people more aware of rhinos and conserve what is left of these wonderful creatures.
Every year on September 22, the world honours the five species of rhinos. The five rhino species are Black, White, Greater One-horned, Sumatran, and Javan. Humans’ desire for rhinoceros’ unique horns has driven all five of the world’s different rhinoceros species to the brink of extinction. The horns are in high demand due to their therapeutic qualities.
The IUCN lists the one-horned rhino, also known as the Indian rhinoceros, as a vulnerable species. The animal is primarily found in the Himalayan foothills — India and Nepal.
HISTORY OF WORLD RHINO DAY
As early as the beginning of the 1990s, the African rhino issue, particularly the black rhino catastrophe in Zimbabwe, became well recognised and people began to be apprehensive.
By 2010, it was clear that the rhinoceros’ possibly dangerous destiny was still unknown to many people throughout the world. In response to the worsening of the situation, the World Wildlife Fund-South Africa declared World Rhino Day in 2010.
The day became a worldwide success just one year later. In 2011, a lady called Lisa Jane Campbell sent an email inviting a fellow rhino enthusiast Rhishja to see the world’s five rhino species survive and be there for coming generations. World Rhino Day has become a worldwide sensation, thanks to these two wonderful women, and has been a tremendous success.
Every year since then, NGOs, zoos, concerned people, and wildlife groups throughout the world have come together to mark World Rhino Day.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY
Rhinos were formerly prevalent all throughout Eurasia and Africa. Around 500,000 rhinos roamed the globe in the early twentieth century. The Javan and Sumatran rhinoceros are highly endangered in Asia. There are just 58 to 68 Javan rhinos left on the planet.
A Javan rhino subspecies was declared extinct in 2011. Only 80 Sumatran rhinos are left today. The black rhino is likewise on the verge of extinction. White rhinos are the most numerous of the five rhino species, with around 20,000 in the wild.
The larger one-horned rhino, sometimes known as the Indian rhino, is increasing in number in India as a result of conservation initiatives. There are currently around 3,500 of these rhinos. They are, however, nonetheless regarded susceptible. So, while India’s rhino numbers are doing well, there is undoubtedly more to be saved.
