Ceratotherium simum, more commonly referred to as the white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros, is a modern success story for conservation work in Africa. Currently the most abundant of the five remaining rhino species the white rhino has over 19,000 members. Residing mostly in Southern Africa with 98.5% living in just five countries, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda (IUCN, 2010). Things weren't always going so well for the species, following their discovery by European settlers during the 1800's the white rhino was hunted tirelessly throughout the century. Their huge size made them attractive to hunters, with their propensity to live in groups in open grassland only making them easier to hunt. Rhino horn was (and still is) extremely popular for use in traditional Asian medicines, despite a lack of scientific evidence for its use. This made rhino horn a particularly expensive commodity worth at least the same as gold in weight, bringing huge financial incentives for those that hunted the animal. This only encouraged and justified the poaching, which continued uncontrolled until eventually the species was thought to be extinct.
In 1895 an overlooked population of between 20-50 rhinos was discovered in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Not wanting to lose the chance to save the species governments and NGOS's stepped in to protect them. Breeding programs were established to increase the population as well as anti-poaching initiatives to prevent any further decline. The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi park in central Kwazulu-Natal is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa and was set up to carry out this revival of the species. The park was vital in breeding rhinos that could then be moved to other game reserves and reintroduced into previously lost habitats. It has taken over a century of intense conservation work to bring the species back from the brink of extinction, to the levels we now see today. The species is now no longer endangered and has a conservation status of "Near Threatened" from the IUCN. While not perfect this is a massive improvement from what we saw in the 19th and 20th century. The 1895 is a tribute to these achievements and to the people that have worked together to ensure the survival of the white rhino.
There is a debate as to whether the northern and southern subspecies of white rhino should be recognised as separate species, with many conflicting opinions on the subject. There is little to gain from this debate as the northern white rhino is now possibly extinct in the wild, with its absolute extinction an inevitability. Only 2 known members remain both of which are female, leaving hope for a hybrid offspring with a southern white rhino, but this does little for the species in the long run. They do tell a slightly different story of the last century compared with their southern counterpart, highlighting that there is still improvements to be made in our conservation efforts.
£5 from the sale of every 1895 shirt will go towards wildlife conservation supporting on-going projects to help save other amazing creatures from extinction. Read more about how your donation works here.
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