Southern White Rhino

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

In a major setback to rhino conservation in Africa, the proposal to downgrade the status of southern white rhino from Appendix I to Appendix II was accepted at the 19th Conference of Parties (COP19).

• The COP19, organised by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Panama City, accepted the proposal by Botswana and Namibia to degrade the status. Wild animal species listed in Appendix I include those threatened with extinction.
• The animals named under Appendix II may not necessarily be threatened with extinction, but trade of such species should be controlled to ensure it does not threaten their existence.
• The proposal was confirmed after it received 83 votes in favour, 31 against it and 13 abstentions.

White Rhino

• Southern White rhinos are the second largest land mammal after the elephant.
• White rhinos are also known as the square-lipped rhinoceros due to their square (not pointed) upper lip.
• Two genetically different subspecies exist, the northern and southern white rhino and are found in two different regions in Africa.
• The IUCN Status of White Rhino is Near Threatened. The IUCN status of its subspecies is as follows:
• Northern White Rhino: Critically Endangered
• Southern White Rhino: Near Threatened

Southern White Rhino

• The southern white rhino and northern white rhino are subspecies of the white rhino. Aside from living in different parts of Africa, they differ slightly in the shape of their teeth and heads, appearance of skin folds, and amount of hair.
• In general, southern whites are a little larger and hairier. Contrary to the species name, both subspecies are Gray in colour.
• “White” may be taken from the Afrikaans word for “wide,” in reference to their mouths, which are wide and square to help them graze on grass.
• Common Name: Southern white rhinoceroses
• Scientific Name: Ceratotherium simum simum
• Diet: Herbivore

Habitat and behavior:

• Nearly 99 percent of southern white rhinos live in the savannas of Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, though the vast majority are found in South Africa.
• White rhinos are semi-social and territorial. They stay together in herds on the grassy plains and mark their territory with strategically placed deposits of dung.
• Threats: It is mostly threatened by habitat loss, continuous poaching in, and the high illegal demand for rhino horn for commercial purposes and use in traditional Chinese medicine.