Wildlife Conservation Club Newsletter #3:
Black Rhinoceros: Critically Endangered
By: Myles Ross '21
The black rhinoceros (Diceros Bicornis) is in the Perissodactyla order and is usually found in the grasslands, tropical bushlands, and savannahs of Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, and other parts of central Africa. The black rhino can live from 35-50 years, and its maximum growth ranges from 4.3 feet to 5.9 feet. There are currently four black rhino subspecies—the western rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes), the eastern rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli), the south-western rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis), and the south-central rhino (Diceros bicornis minor). The gestation period for black rhinos usually lasts 15-16 months, so mothers give birth to their young every two and a half to three years. The top speed of a black rhino is 34 mph. That’s fast for an organism that can range from 1,800 pounds to around 3,100 pounds. Since there are only 2,550 black rhinos alive today, the black rhino is on the IUCN Red List as a critically endangered species. The cause that drove the “hook-lipped rhinoceros" into extinction is poaching due to the high demand for its horns.
To learn more about how to help black rhinoceroses, visit https://rhinos.org/species/black-rhino/
Bengal Tiger: Endangered
By: Brandon Nydick '20
The Bengal tiger is a carnivore that has a lifespan of around eight to ten years in the wild. They weigh between 240 and 500 pounds, and there are around 2300 Bengal tigers left in the wild, with approximately 1500 of them living in India. One way we can all help this endangered species is by using less paper. Conserving paper would decrease the number of trees that are cut down in the ecosystems where Bengal tigers live, helping to preserve their habitat.
To learn more about how to help Bengal tigers, visit https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger
Hawaiian Monk Seal: Endangered
By: Divij Jain '21
The Hawaiian monk seal is an endangered species that lives in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. These seals are threatened by humans moving into their natural habitat and by accidental fishing. Only 1,400 Hawaiian monk seals remain in the wild. You can help the Hawaiian monk seal and similar species by sharing beaches with wildlife and by following local fishing guidelines.
To learn more about how to help Hawaiian monk seals, visit http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_hms_index.html
Wildlife News Articles Worth Reading:
How climate change is turning green turtle populations ... www.worldwildlife.org A new study reveals rising temperatures are turning green turtle populations almost completely female in the northern Great Barrier Reef. More than 200,000 nesting ...
More Than 1,000 Rhinos Poached in South Africa Last Year news.nationalgeographic.com Although poaching is down in Kruger National Park,the former hot spot,the overall crisis continues.
Watch the Bittersweet Rescue of Red Pandas from Wildlife Smugglers news.nationalgeographic.com A seizure of the endangered animals in Laos hints at growing interest in them.
Elephants Are Very Scared of Bees. That Could Save Their Lives. www.nytimes.com Researchers have compared the reactions of elephants in Africa and Asia to bee swarms, in efforts at protecting the endangered animals from angered farmers or poachers.
Nepal introduces a climate-smart plan to protect snow leopards www.worldwildlife.org In August 2017, Nepal made conservation history by becoming the first country to launch its climate-smart snow leopard landscape management leading the way in safeguarding the species and its habitat.
Oil and Gas Drilling Is Causing Birds to Have Fewer Chicks news.nationalgeographic.com A new study is the first in any animal to link noise pollution to stress and show that this connection can disrupt reproduction.
Scores of Dolphin Deaths Have Scientists Baffled news.nationalgeographic.com Mortalities have been mysteriously piling up in a bay near Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
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