Positive Turn in Kenya's Rhino Population

Back to Map Page July, 1998 Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya In a welcome counterpoint to decades of bad news, a recent report indicates that the rhino population appears to be growing in at least one national park in Kenya. The Kenya Wildlife Service reported in June that the rhino herd at the Lake Nakuru rhino sanctuary has grown in the past 12 years from 41 introduced animals to a total of 71. While the numbers sound small, they are significant within the shrinking world population, and they are an encouraging indication that some rhino conservation efforts are paying off.   Rhino populations appear to be stablizing in some parts of Africa.   Kenya’s efforts to protect the rhino began in the mid-1980s, after years of poaching caused the country’s rhino population to collapse from 20,000 in 1970 to just 400 animals in 1983. In 1984 Kenya started a national Save the Rhino program, and Kenya’s President Moi gave the animals special protected status in the country. Three years later the Kenya Wildlife Service established the rhino sanctuary at Lake Nakuru and brought 20 animals there. Another 21 animals were later donated from South Africa. The rhino herd includes black rhinos and white rhinos, both internationally recognized as endangered. In a similar press report in August, the Worldwide Fund for Wildlife reported that white rhino populations have risen slightly in the past few years, a change the organization attributes to anti-poaching efforts in many African countries. Rhinos Still in Trouble Despite local progress, international conservation efforts, and apparent White Rhino increases, world rhino populations continue to be in trouble. The principal problem that remains is poaching—especially for the horns, which are made into traditional knife handles, a much-desired item in Yemen and other Middle Eastern countries. Sudden wealth in oil-rich regions has been partly blamed for the surge in rhino poaching since the 1970s. Also contributing to population declines is the loss of undisturbed habitat throughout their range. Less than 14,000 rhinos probably remain in the wild worldwide. Although estimates vary, approximate populations of the five rhino species are as follows:       White Rhino (Africa)  6,500-8,500  Black Rhino (Africa)  2,500  Indian Rhino (South Asia)  2,000  Sumatran Rhino (Indonesia)  400  Javan Rhino (Indonesia) 70    Location of Lake Nakuru National Park   To read more, see Environmental Science, A Global Concern, Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed. Wildlife refuges and preservation efforts: pages 332-334 Endangered species management: pages 283-290 Environmental Science, Enger and Smith, 6th ed. Extinction and rhino conservation: pages 212-217 For further information, see these related web sites: Information on rhinos and updates on conservation efforts of the International Rhino Foundation News on African wildlife populations and conservation efforts Back to Map Page feedback form | permissions | international | locate your campus rep | request a review copy digital solutions | publish with us | customer service | mhhe home Copyright ©2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of the The McGraw-Hill Companies.