ANIMAL EXTINCTION: THE PROBLEM, A VICTIM, THE SOLUTIONS On the 19th March 2018, Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino died [1]. Sudan was 45 years old when he died, well past the ideal reproductive age for males. Sudan suffered from several age-related problems and a severe infection in his hind right leg. These complications lead to his team of vets ultimately deciding to put him down. His death brought the population of Northern White Rhino down to two individuals, both of which are female [2]. The species (Full trinomial name: Ceratotherium simum cottoni) was driven to extinction by the action of poachers seeking to sell their skins and horns. According to a statement made by the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, the number of poached rhino in 2017 was 1028 individuals. There has been a slight decline since its peak in 2014 where the number reached 1215 individuals, however these are still troubling numbers considering the fact that only two individuals remain.
Figure 1: Recorded number of Rhinos poached in South Africa. Source: Poaching Statistics - Save the Rhino. https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/poaching_statistics