Beyond Your Backyard - World Rhino Day

By Kimberly J Epp

World Rhino Day is today, Sept. 22.

Rhinos have existed over 55 million years on this planet. The Western Black Rhino species sadly went extinct in the 20th Century due to humans.

The Northern White Rhino species recently lost the only male, Sudan and is on it's way to extinction. Only 5,000 Black Rhinos exist.

Sumatran Rhino

The Sumatran Rhino, the smallest rhino species (and the only rhino species that is fur-laden) is one of the most endangered animals on earth. Like the Sumatran Elephants and orangutans, their habitat is threatened by the palm oil industry.

Scientists have discovered that they thrived for nearly a million years. They are the closest living relative to the extinct woolly rhinoceros. 950,000 years ago, there were 60,000 of them in the wild. Today, to be fewer than 80 left in the wild.

*Please, try not to buy products that contain palm oil. We must get companies to start thinking of other options.*

Click here to read last year's article.

#WorldRhinoDay 🦏