Moreover, they have flat broad mouth for grazing. The epidermis of white rhinoceroses is 1 mm thick and their dermis is 18 mm thick, on average. White rhinoceroses have pale gray skin which is dense, tough, and has plate-like folds. These animals have 24 teeth, with a dental formula of: incisors 0/0, canines 0/0, premolars 3/3, and molars 3/3. In addition, white rhinoceros average shoulder height is 1.71 to 2.85 m, whereas their average girth is between 2.01 and 2.20 m. The average length of tail of white rhinoceroses ranges from 0.57 to 0.77 m. The average length of their head and body, not including tail, is 3.35 to 3.77 m. The shorter horns can grow up to 550 mm in length. The recorded length of longer horns is 1660 mm in length. White rhinoceroses have relatively small eyes compared to their body size, squared-shaped lips, and a long neck with a hump. They weigh approximately 1000 to 3600 kg as adults. White rhinoceroses are one of the largest terrestrial mammals. As temperature increases, they move to shadier areas such as dense forest or mid-slopes of hills. In addition, white rhinoceroses are more commonly found near riverbanks and bottomland areas during morning hours. White rhinoceroses usually live near water sources because they generally consume water as often as twice a day. Typical habitat for white rhinocerose includes dense forests, savannas, and woodlands with grassy openings. Status survey and conservation action plan", 1999 Estes, 1991 Groves, 1972 Nowak, 1999 Skinner and Chimimba, 2006) Whereas, the southern white rhinoceroses inhabit Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Zambia.įurthermore, African governments have been preserving populations of rhinoceroses in protected areas, such as Kruger National Park of South Africa, Mlilwane Game Sanctuary of Swaziland, Murchison Falls National Park of Uganda, and Meru National Park of Kenya. Presently, northern white rhinoceroses only inhabit the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, the current range of these subspecies is much more restricted. Southern white rhinoceroses ( Ceratotherium simum simum) were native to all of southern Africa. More southern white rhinoceroses are expected to be sent to Garamba National Park in the future.Historically, northwestern Uganda, southern Chad, south-western Sudan, the eastern part of center African Republic, and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo were the native places for northern white rhinoceroses ( Ceratotherium simum cottoni). “This reintroduction is the start of a process whereby southern white rhino as the closest genetic alternative can fulfil the role of the northern white rhino in the landscape,” he said. But conflict, poaching and chronic insecurity in volatile DRC have decimated its wildlife over the years.Īfrican Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead was also quoted in the statement as saying that efforts to save the northern white rhinos in the park had been “too little, too late”. The operation was led by the ICCN, conservation NGO African Parks and Canadian mining firm Barrick Gold, which sponsored the rhino move.Įstablished in 1938, Garamba National Park is one of Africa’s oldest. “The return of white rhinos to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a testament to our country’s commitment to biodiversity conservation,” Yves Milan Ngangay, the director general of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), said in a statement. The last northern white rhino in the park, which lies in the DRC’s northeast, was poached in 2006.Īccording to a joint statement from the park and conservation groups, 16 southern white rhinos have been transported from a private reserve in South Africa to Garamba. Sixteen southern white rhinoceroses have been released into Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), officials said on Saturday, reintroducing an endangered species that was decimated by poaching.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |