The Rhino, All Species on the Brink of Extinction

This animal, looking as if it's wearing armor, is a Javan rhinoceros. It got its name, 'Javan rhinoceros,' because it lives on the island of Java in Indonesia. It's relatively small among rhinoceroses, with a body length of about 3.5 meters and a shoulder height of about 1.6 meters.

Currently, rhinoceroses are divided into African rhinoceroses, including the black rhinoceros and white rhinoceros, and Asian rhinoceroses, including the Indian rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros, and Javan rhinoceros. Sadly, all five species of rhinoceroses are designated as endangered species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the 'Red List,' a list of endangered species, to manage endangered wildlife worldwide. Most endangered species are categorized from Critically Endangered (CR) to Least Concern (LC). The black rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros, and Javan rhinoceros are classified as Critically Endangered (CR), while the Indian rhinoceros is Vulnerable (VU), and the white rhinoceros is Near Threatened (NT).

The Sumatran rhinoceros, classified as Critically Endangered (CR), has only about 30 individuals left worldwide, and the Javan rhinoceros has only 18 left, a dire situation. The primary reason for these rhinoceroses facing such severe extinction threats is, unfortunately, illegal poaching by humans. Those who illegally hunt rhinoceroses target their horns. Rumors about the medical benefits of rhinoceros horns have spread, leading to this problem. To prevent rhinoceroses from being hunted, the animal protection organization Saving the Wild even went so far as to cut off their horns. Since rhinoceros horns are similar to fingernails, they can be cut off without pain or bleeding. Surprisingly, after this action by the animal protection organization, illegal poaching of rhinoceroses has significantly decreased.

Besides illegal poaching, rhinoceroses are also threatened by habitat destruction due to human development and climate change. While many people are working to conserve rhinoceroses through efforts such as establishing protected areas, the most urgent issue to address is the problem of illegal poaching.