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The three other species occur in Asia: the Indian or greater one-horned rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros unicornis), the Javan or lesser one-horned rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros sondaicus), and the Sumatran or hairy rhinoceros ( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis).
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Two of these occur in Africa: the white or square-lipped rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum)-the largest and currently most abundant rhino-and the black or hook-lipped rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis). The focus here is on the five species of rhinoceros. They reflect, moreover, the notion that biodiversity conservation is a “common concern of mankind.” 13 It is no surprise then, that the scholarly literature is beginning to address the role of international wildlife law in the conservation of the largest carnivores 14 and several of the megaherbivores-mostly the African elephant ( Loxodonta africana) 15 and, to a lesser degree, rhinoceroses 16 and the hippopotamus. 12 Wildlife treaties recognize the transboundary nature of many wildlife populations and of some of the threats they face. Indeed, in the overall effort to stem and reverse the global biodiversity crisis, 10 law is a crucial instrument, 11 including international wildlife law. 7 A large number of scientists involved in large carnivore and large herbivore conservation have recently called for “omprehensive actions to save these iconic wildlife species,” and thus “help to curb an extinction process that appears to have begun with our ancestors in the late Pleistocene.” 8 In this call to arms, the potential role of international wildlife treaties is duly noted. 5 Crucially, most roles played by large herbivores “cannot be taken over or compensated for by smaller herbivores.” 6 These considerations apply particularly strongly to megaherbivores, eight species weighing in at over 1,000 kilograms, including both species of elephant, the hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius), and the five species of rhinoceros. 4 Large herbivores, for instance, are keystone species or “ecosystem engineers,” providing a food source for predators and scavengers, dispersing seeds, cycling nutrients, influencing fire regimes, and providing benefits to smaller herbivores and to birds, rodents, and insects, in addition to their direct benefits for people, i.e., as a food source or in connection with tourism. 2 For the world’s largest terrestrial carnivores (the 31 species weighing over 15 kg) and herbivores (the 74 species weighing over 100 kg), 3 studies confirm both the crucial role many of these species (used to) play in ecosystems and the very worrying conservation status of most of them. 1 Population trends for large-bodied species reflect their particular vulnerability. This has occurred despite strict trade bans on rhinoceros products and strict enforcement in recent years.Scientists warn that human impacts are threatening to cause a sixth mass extinction event on the planet. In South Africa, rhinoceros poaching incidents have increased from 13 in 2007 to 1,215 in 2014. Black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis) populations declined from several hundred thousand in the early 19 th century to ∼65,000 in 1970 and to ∼2,400 by 1995 with subsequent genetic reduction, also due to hunting, land clearances and later poaching. Efforts by the Natal Parks Board facilitated an increase in population to over 20,000 in 2015 through aggressive conservation management. At the end of the 19 th century, Southern white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum simum) numbers had declined to fewer than 50 animals in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi region of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa, mainly due to uncontrolled hunting 2, 3.
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Black and white rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis and Ceratotherium simum) are iconic African species that are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered and Near Threatened ( ), respectively.