Black rhino numbers start to recover

Conservationists are hailing the remarkable recovery in the number of the critically endangered Black Rhino.

The latest figures released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, indicate a slight increase in their numbers over the last six years.

The report states that between 2012-2016, the African Black Rhino “has grown at a modest annual rate of 2.5% from an estimated 4,845 to 5,630 animals in the wild. Population models predict a further slow increase over the next five years”.

This rise in figures is put down to successful law enforcement efforts in disrupting and combatting the work of poachers.

However, the report also highlights the plight of the African White Rhino, which continues to be categorised as ‘Near Threatened’.

The Northern White Rhino, a subspecies of the White Rhino, remains critically endangered and is possibly extinct in the wild.

The White Rhino is far more vulnerable to poaching than the Black Rhino, as it has a larger horn and favour more open habitats and spaces, meaning they are easier to find.

Photo: Getty Images