| Western Black Rhinoceros | |
|---|---|
| Holotype specimen, a female shot in 1911 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Family: | Rhinocerotidae |
| Genus: | Diceros |
| Species: | D. bicornis |
| Subspecies: | D. b. longipes |
| Trinomial name | |
| Diceros bicornis longipes Zukowsky, 1949 |
|
The Western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) or West African Black Rhinoceros is an extinct subspecies of the Black Rhino. It was once widespread in the savanna of central-west Africa but its numbers declined due to poaching. The Western Black Rhinoceros resided primarily in Cameroon, but recent surveys have failed to locate any individuals and in 2011 it was declared extinct by the IUCN.[1][2]
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The Western Black Rhinoceros measured 3–3.8 m (9.8–12.5 ft) long, had a height of 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.6 ft), and weighed 800–1,300 kg (1,800–2,900 lb). It had two horns, the first measuring 0.5–1.3 m (1.6–4.3 ft) and the second 2–55 cm (0.79–22 in). Like all Black Rhinos, they were browsers, and could be found on the savanna.
The Western Black Rhinoceros was heavily hunted in the beginning of the 20th century, but the population rose in the 1930s after preservation actions were taken. As protection efforts declined over the years so did the number of Western Black rhinos. By 1980 the population was in the hundreds. Poaching continued and by 2000 only an estimated 10 survived. In early 2006 an intensive survey of northern Cameroon (the last remaining habitat of the species) found none, but efforts to locate any surviving individuals continued.[3] The illegal poaching, limited anti-poaching efforts, failure of courts to hand down sentences to punish poachers and more all contributed to the species' eventual demise. No animals are known to be held in captivity. On November 10, 2011, the subspecies was declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1]