Horn of Darkness: Rhinos on the Edge

"Black rhinos," write husband and wife eco-advocate team Carol Cunningham and Joel Berger, "are one of the most critically endangered species in Africa." Where perhaps 100,000 of the shy, lumbering creatures existed at the beginning of the 20th century, there may be only 2,500 today. Tracing the natural history of the rhino, Cunningham and Berger offer a firsthand account of the way these creatures live in the wild. They also look searchingly into the prospects for the rhinos' preservation, which is enjoying mixed success in places like Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia. To stop the slaughter, the authors write, intensive international efforts--and funding--are needed. Horn of Darkness presents a powerful argument for why such efforts should be made, and immediately.