Rhino fact 11: Two subspecies of rhino have fewer than 10 individuals surviving, and two other subspecies have fewer than 100 individuals left.

Just seven Northern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) remain on earth; there are none left in the wild. The Vietnamese subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) of the Javan rhino has a population of no more than five, if any remain at all. The most numerous Javan rhino subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus) consists of fewer than 50 wild rhino. There are no Javan rhinos in captivity. It is believed there are fewer than 50 Borneo rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) left.

Video: Javan rhino swimming

Help raise awareness about rhinos

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, three species of rhino are classified as Critically Endangered: Black rhino, Sumatran rhino, and Javan Rhino.

Because of conservation efforts, today’s population of nearly 2,800 greater one-horned rhino was reclassified in 2008 as Vulnerable, an improvement from Endangered. The white rhino population has now reached just over 17,000, earning them the IUCN status of Near Threatened. (Updated June 2011: Greater one-horned rhinos now number 2,949; white rhinos 20,600, and black rhinos 4,860.)

Both the greater one-horned rhino and white rhino have recovered from populations of fewer than 200.

The plundering of rhinos has reached a 15-year high and is still increasing. All rhino species are under pressure because of demand for rhino horn in China and Vietnam. Javan and Sumatran rhinos face added threats of habitat loss.

Help us raise public awareness about the illegal rhino horn trade by sharing articles from this very blog (Rhino Horn is Not Medicine), and public awareness materials from our Bust the Myth – Save the Species and Rhino Horn is Not Medicine campaigns.

Images from iStockphoto.com unless otherwise noted

Rhinos: 11 Incredible Facts, Plus Photo Gallery by Rhishja Larson previously published 11/20/2009 on Ecoworldly.com

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Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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