A recent episode of NATURE on PBS told the story of rhinos, an endangered species that inhabit the grasslands and wetlands of Africa and Asia. Poaching and wetland loss, along with deforestation, have reduced the rhino populations by 70% in the past 20 years. A rhino is happiest wallowing in muddy pools; that’s because a rhino can’t sweat the heat and the mud keeps her skin healthy. All rhinos are vegetarians. A crash, or herd of rhinos, act as “gardeners” in the grasslands and wetlands they inhabit by grazing here and there; their dung fertilizes new vegetation growth. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/rhinoceros/introduction/1179/
Among the reasons that habitat protection is so important for rhino conservation is their fidelity to certain sites and to their mates. Rhinos don’t “shop around.” It’s just quintessential rhinocerosity!
Humans are rhinos’ only natural predator. Threats have made it nearly impossible for rhinos to reproduce successfully in the wild. Wildlife biologists have brought rhinos back to the U.S. and utilized the science that helps fertility-challenged human couples—in-vitro fertilization—at several zoos, including the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens. Nan Schaffer, DVM, is one of the world’s leading experts on rhino reproductive science. Her work is described here: http://www.sosrhino.org/news/reader.php and more about the program: http://www.sosrhino.org/
Of the five main rhino species, two are wetland-dependent: the Indian rhino and the Sumatran rhino. The Indian rhino, a.k.a. Asian One-horned Rhino, has seven proposed scientific names (Rhinoceros unicornis) http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/species/
indian-rhino/scientific-names.php and lives in the grasslands, riverine forests and marshy alluvial plains south of the Himalayas. There are about 2, 600 Indian rhinos in the wild. They are incredibly good swimmers, despite their tank-like appearance and weight, upwards of 6,000 pounds! They like to spend their afternoons hanging out in lakes, rivers and ponds. Because they prefer wetlands, Indian rhinos are known to eat aquatic plants while wading or swimming. Conservationists and wildlife biologists believe that a captive breeding program is essential to the rhino’s survival. One of the Indian rhinos at the Cincinnati Zoo is pregnant http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/earth/
CREW/indianrhino.html (The father is at the Bronx Zoo.) For more on the Indian rhino’s habitat and diet at the zoo, go to: http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/animals/mammals/IndianRhinoceros.html
The Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) lives in tropical rainforests and mossy forests in Indonesia and Malaysia. This two-horned rhino is the only rhino to be covered in hair and is closely related to the prehistoric woolly rhinoceros. It is the smallest of the rhino family, only about 1500 pounds. It is a very good climber. Like the other rhinos, the demand for the horn—used in Asian medicines—and deforestation have reduced the rhinos dramatically in numbers. The Cincinnati Zoo has had success breeding Sumatran rhinos. http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/earth/CREW/sumatranrhino.html For more on the Sumatran rhino’s habitat and diet at the zoo, go to: http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/animals/mammals/SumatranRhinoceros.html
Conservation efforts for other types of rhinos are also ongoing:
Update: Protest against rhino poaching – wetland preserve created to raise awareness about rhinos
November 2011: http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7376&catid=88&Itemid=266
October 2011: Ramsar wetland site, game preserve fence repaired – protects rhinos
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/game-reserve-fence-restored-1.1167034
Endangered black rhino born at zoo in Miami (August 2010) http://cbs4.com/local/Black.Rhinoceros.Rhino.2.1880918.html
Rhino born at zoo Krefeld http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/36764_Baby_Rhino_Time
Scientists fight rhino poaching http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/rhinoceros/video-rhino-horn-lab/1206/ and Savingrhinos.org blog: http://www.rhinoconservation.org/
