Recently, 30 white rhinos were transferred from South Africa to Rwanda, onboard a Boeing 747 chartered plane. They were transferred in light of increasing threat of illegal poaching. It was the largest single transfer of white rhinos ever.

The White Rhinoceros

White Rhinoceros are also known as square-lipped rhinoceros while their scientific name is Ceratotherium simum. They are the largest extant species of rhinoceros. They have a wide mouth, which they use for grazing. They are considered as the most social among all rhino species.

Subspecies of white rhinoceros

White rhinoceros comprises of two subspecies:

1. Southern White Rhinoceros– Estimated 19,682–21,077 wild-living animals, as of 2015.
2. Northern White Rhinoceros– They are rare and have few remaining individuals. Only two female rhinoceros were confirmed left in 2018. Sudan was the last known male northern white rhinoceros of the world, who died in Kenya in 2018. They are formerly found in several countries of East and Central Africa. The subspecies is a grazer of grasslands and savanna woodlands.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status

As per latest IUCN assessment of 2020, the Northern White Rhinoceros are considered as “Critically Endangered” or Possibly Extinct in the Wild.

By: Brijesh Kumar