Level 3
World's loneliest rhino dies
On March 19, wildlife officials announced that the last male northern rhinoceros (or rhino) had died. Named
Sudan, it lived in a protected area in Kenya for the past nine years. The large animal was often described
as the world's loneliest rhino.
Sudan was 45 years old. In recent months, the rhino had been very sick. When it was unable to stand or
walk, the officials decided to “put the animal to sleep”. Now, only two female northern white rhinos remain.
They are Sudan's daughter and granddaughter. Both live in the same protective area.
After the elephant, the rhinoceros is the world’s second largest land mammal. The biggest rhinos are four
meters long. They weigh over 3,600 kilograms. Rhinos have large pointed horns on their noses. They eat
plants.
There are only five rhinoceros species left. Four are in danger of dying out. The white rhinoceros is the
largest species. It has two subspecies: the northern white and southern white rhinoceros. White and black
rhinos are found in Africa. About 5,000 black rhinos remain. The white rhinos have wider mouths and
square lips. Both white and black rhinos are gray. Hundreds of years ago, Dutch people moved to parts of
Africa. The Dutch word for wide is “wijd”. Some people thought that it meant “white”. Therefore, the wide
mouth rhino became the white rhinos. The other was called the black rhino.
Northern white rhinos were found in East and Central Africa. The southern white rhinos live in Namibia,
Botswana and Zimbabwe. There are about 20,000 southern rhinos in the wild. They outnumber all other
rhino species.
The three other species are: the Sumatran, Javan and Indian rhinoceros. Indian rhinos are the second
largest. About 3,500 of these rhinos live in India and Nepal. Sumatran and Javan rhinos come from
Indonesia. They are endangered. There are fewer than 40 Javan rhinos. The Sumatran is the smallest
rhino. It has two horns. About 200 Sumatran rhino remain.
About a century ago, at least 500,000 rhinos existed in the world. Today, there are about 29,000. The
decline is due to habitat loss and poaching. Poachers are people who illegally kill wild animals. In 1970s
and 1980s, nearly all the northern white rhinos were killed for their horns. In China and Vietnam, rhino
horns are used to make traditional Chinese medicines. Some people believe that they can cure certain
diseases. Medical experts say that this is not true.
Nowadays, it is illegal kill
rhinos. Yet it is difficult to
stop the poachers. They
earn a lot of money from
selling rhino horns. In
southern Africa, wildlife
officials cut off rhinos' horns
to try to stop poachers.
However, poachers
continue to kill the rhinos for
the small part of horn that’s
left. In Kenya, armed guards
protected Sudan and the
two other northern white
rhinos 24 hours a day. Sudan's horn was also removed.
Wildlife officials have started a northern white rhino breeding program. So far, it has not been successful.
Due to advanced genetic technologies, the officials hope that Sudan's death is not the end of northern
white rhinoceros.
Debate Question:
Can poaching be stopped?
Manager’s Pro Answer: Yes, poaching can be stopped. Many animals are now endangered
because of poaching. If governments, private organizations and communities work together, they
could stop poaching. There are laws about poaching. These laws should be implemented strictly.
All the people involved in poaching should be given harsher punishments. This is the only way to
stop it. Governments and the people must work harder to solve this serious problem.
Manager’s Con Answer: No, poaching cannot be stopped. Poaching has been a problem for a
long time. There are many laws designed to prevent it. There have been many awareness
campaigns about endangered animals. Most people are aware of the problem. Unfortunately, these
measures have not been successful. Poaching will continue until people are no longer willing to
buy rhino horns or other animal body parts from poachers. It is a complex problem with no easy
solutions.
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