These prehistoric looking creatures are often referred to as living dinosaurs. Their recent history across Africa tells a story of catastrophic destruction where 95% of the African Black rhino was lost between 1960 and 1990. Many other regional populations have become extinct or are on the verge of being so. Examples include the West African Black rhino (extinct 2011), Northern White rhino (3 left), Javan (70 left) and Sumatran (about 90 left).
One African rhino success story, the Southern White Rhino, stands out above all in that less than 50 animals survived and bred up to almost 20,000 before the latest poaching crisis has begun pushing them into negative growth again.
