21st Century Complete Guide to the Black Rhinoceros and White Rhinoceros, Sale of Rhino Horns, African Wildlife Management, Research Reports - Nature and Wildlife Guide Series (CD-ROM)

This is an up-to-date and comprehensive electronic book on CD-ROM about the Black Rhinoceros and White Rhinoceros, the illegal sale of rhino horns, African wildlife management, research reports, endangered species, international grants, rhinoceros and tiger conservation act, congressional reports, CITES, and more. As part of the Nature and Wildlife Guide Series, it contains scientific research data along with public information, images and photographs. The black rhinoceros was listed as an endangered species in 1980 to help African nations preserve rapidly dwindling herds. The listing brought worldwide attention to the strange market that has long put a price on the heads of the few remaining black rhinos. The black rhino has two horns on its snout, a large one far forward, and a smaller one directly behind. The horns bring high prices in parts of the world including South East Asia. The horns which are conically-shaped clusters of grown-together fibers, contain no bones, nor-- according to the scientists-- any medicinal value for humans. The black rhinoceros lives in Africa in a variety of habitats from the dense rainforests to the dry scrublands. Once numerous in eastern and southern Africa, the animals are now only found in national parks and game reserves. The black rhino stands more than 51/2 feet tall and weighs up to 4,000 pounds. Its front horn can range from 18 inches to 4 feet. Before 1900, millions of black rhinos occurred throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, but between 1970 and 1992, rhino populations declined 96%. Black rhinos went extinct in many range states, and by 1992, only 2,300 individuals survived in seven countries. Since then, intense law enforcement efforts have helped the population to recover to approximately 3,100 individuals. When rhino population growth falls below certain targets or when herd size expands beyond a certain threshold (usually thought to be at 75% of ecological carrying capacity); management actions, such as translocating rhinos back to currently unoccupied but historic range, are implemented. In 1994, the U.S. Congress established the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund. Funding is allocated between the different species of rhino and tiger, thereby allowing the highly imperiled two African and three Asian rhinoceros species to receive support for critical conservation efforts. The Fund supports rhinoceros and tiger conservation projects that strengthen law enforcement, acquire information needed for management through population surveys and monitoring, develop local support for conservation through environmental education, strengthen habitat and nature reserve management, and promote sustainable development to remove human pressure on these species habitats. There are currently five species of rhinoceros in the world: black, white, Indian, Javan, and Sumatran. Of these, the black and white rhinoceros species are native to Africa and the other three species are native to Asia. In 1977, all five species of rhinoceros were listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Due to its listing under Appendix I of CITES, the international trade of rhinoceros and rhinoceros products is banned. In addition, all except the southern subspecies of African white rhino are listed as endangered under our Endangered Species Act. The white rhino, which is primarily found in South Africa, has been listed as a threatened species.