Between black and white rhinos, black rhinos are the smaller of the two African rhino species. Black and white rhinos can be distinguished by the shape of their lips. Black rhinos have hooked upper lips, whereas white rhinos are characterized by a square lip. Black rhinos have two horns, which make them lucrative targets for the illegal trade in rhino horns.

The population of black rhinos declined dramatically in the 20^th century at the hands of European hunters and settlers. Of all the threats facing black rhinos, poaching is the deadliest. Due to intense poaching, 96% of the population was wiped out between 1970 and 1990. Political instability and wars have also greatly hindered rhino conservation work over the last decades.

However, thanks to constant conservation efforts across Africa, black rhino numbers have doubled from their historic low 20 years ago to more than 6,000 today. Nonetheless, the black rhino is still considered critically endangered because of demand for rhino horns used for traditional medicine and increasingly as a status symbol to display success and wealth, on the illegal international market. A lot of work remains to bring their population up to even a fraction of what it once was and to ensure that it stays there.

To protect black rhinos from poaching and habitat loss, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is taking action in three black rhino range countries: Namibia, Kenya, and South Africa, which hold about 87% of the total black rhino population. In Namibia, WWF leads anti-trafficking efforts, aids in black rhino relocation, and implements security measures like DNA sampling and sniffer dogs to safeguard rhino populations and combat wildlife crime. In Kenya, WWF works with rangers to stop poaching in high-risk areas. They help provide the proper training and technology to catch and deter poachers. In South Africa, WWF trains and develops new technologies that enable law enforcement agencies to address wildlife trafficking.

Community involvement is also a crucial component of black rhino conservation. WWF prioritizes community involvement, particularly in Namibia, aiding in the establishment of conservancies, resulting in Africa's largest free-roaming black rhino population. Similarly, in South Africa, community-driven initiatives focus on rhino conservation through governance and livelihood diversification. Namibia's groundbreaking environmental protection policies empower communities to manage conservancies, supported by WWF to ensure sustainable wildlife management and benefits. Through collaborative efforts including community guards, monitoring, and partnerships with tourism, these conservancies have successfully revived black rhino populations, highlighting the effectiveness of community-led conservation in restoring biodiversity in the region's arid landscapes.

(Adapted from www.worldwildlife.org)

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