![]() This animal is protected under the CITES treaty and conservationists have tried removing the horns to discourage poaching, but poaching still seems to continue. It is also considered a symbol of wealth in many countries, and in Asia is it is considered a valuable source of medicine. Although the species is referred to as black, its colours vary from brown to grey. It was declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011. The black rhinoceros, black rhino or hook-lipped rhinoceros is a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and southern Africa including Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. ![]() The horn is used for ornamental dagger handles and worth over $20,000 in the black market. The western black rhinoceros or West African black rhinoceros is an extinct subspecies of the black rhinoceros. The main cause of decline is poaching and the demand for its horn. The black rhino lives in Africa, primarily in grasslands, savannahs and tropical bush lands. In the 1960s an estimated 70,000 black rhinos were found in Africa and in 1981 the numbers had dropped to around 15,000, and only twelve years later, slightly more than 2000 of the population remained. There are four subspecies of black rhinoceros: The South-central black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis minor), the South-western black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis bicornis), the East African black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis michaeli), and the West African Black Rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis longipes). The calf remains with the mother for up to three years. The female gives birth to only one calf after a gestation period of 15 to 18 months. Males wonder alone until it is time to breed or when wallowing in waterholes with other rhinos. It is a large animal, with males weighing up to 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) and females weighing up to 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb). The west African black rhinoceros is a grazer, eating mostly grasses. It is native to western Africa, where it is the most common rhinoceros. Breeding occurs year-round, but most births occur during the rainy season. The west African black rhinoceros is a subspecies of the black rhinoceros. The black rhinoceros eats mostly leaves, young shoots and twigs. This species is known to be aggressive especially when detecting danger. Two horns appear on the black rhino's head, the front one being longer and measuring up to 53 inches in length. Their sinus passages are said to be larger than their brains. Rhinos have poor vision but a good sense of smell. The black rhino can weigh from 2000 to 4000 lb, though it can move very quickly (up to 35 mph) when ready to charge, and can reach a body length of 9 to 12 feet. The mud helps keep insects off and keeps the rhinos cool in the hot African climate. Its skin may sometimes appear black after its daily mud bath in black or brown marshy areas. The skin of the black rhinoceros is gray and not black as its common name may suggest. The western black rhino, the one we are concerned about today, is one of those subspecies that emerged about seven or eight million years ago. The black rhinoceros is one of the two species of rhinoceros found in Africa.
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