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The International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared the western black rhino extinct. One of four subspecies of the black rhino, it was considered especially vulnerable to poachers who hunt the rhino for its horn, believed to contain medicinal properties.

The black rhino is one of five surviving species of rhinoceros. Sadly, most of the others are endangered as well.

As well as declaring the western black rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) extinct, it records the northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), a subspecies in central Africa, as being on the brink of extinction.

The last Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) outside Java is also believed to have disappeared.


The other species include the white rhino, Indian rhino and the Sumatran rhino.

This has nothing to do with comics, but it is good to note the passing of our natural world.

1 COMMENT

  1. This is, sadly, expected news. The western black rhino was last seen in 2000, I think. It was the first rhino extinction I wrote about in my coverage of endangered species, and it won’t be the last.

  2. To lose a species forever is sad of course.

    My sorrow was very slightly mitigated by the fact that the “Related stories” suggested at the the end of the piece are “RIP: Estelle Getty” and “Judge rules Tintin in the Congo is not racist”.

  3. “One of four subspecies of the black rhino, it was considered especially vulnerable to poaches who hunt the rhino for its horn, believed to contain medicinal properties.”

    It’s amazing what people will believe, based on nothing at all but passed around hearsay. It is probably one of the most destructive forces within mankind. Sadly, it is not limited to foreign third world countries.

  4. “My sorrow was very slightly mitigated by the fact that the “Related stories” suggested at the the end of the piece are “RIP: Estelle Getty” and “Judge rules Tintin in the Congo is not racist”.”

    LOL I thought this was funny too…

  5. vraiment des en****és ces gens. et nous en sommes qu’au début!! en france il y a beaucoup de vol de cornes de rhinocéros (muséee, collectionneurs) pour ces soi disantes vertues médicinales.
    je les pleure , une pensée pour toutes ces espèces que l’homme anéantira pour son propre bien et sa bêtise.

  6. What is wrong with this world? we live in XXI century and people still bealive that killing animals and selling their bones or skin will help them survive or heal? This is unbelivable, I can’t understand why we are uncapable of using our brains and trying not to be just this selfish cretures… Still hopeing for change to come.

  7. “I hope this happens to all the black people in this world”

    Thats a terrible thing to say, it makes you just as bad as the poachers themselves, and the sad thing is that now the black rhino is extinct they’ll move on to destroy another species…its so sad

  8. Y’a vraiment des gens sans scrupules dans ce bas monde!! Nous sommes gouvernés par le profit…c’est triste de voir que ce magnifique animal puisse disparaître, en espérant que cela cesse et que le monde comprenne enfin l’importance de chaque espèce à la survie de notre planète…

  9. What an incredibly ignorant world we live in today . It really is devastating to live in a time where so much can be prevented but because people choose to be blind things will continue in this manner.