In celebration of World Rhino Day (September 22nd), here’s a Borenan rhino in Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Photo by: Jeremy Hance.
The Sumatran rhino is the world’s smallest species of rhino, but the Bornean rhino—a subspecies of the Sumatra—is even tinier. One of the world’s most endangered mammals, there are an estimated 40 Bornean rhinos surviving in a few small pockets. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the last hope for this subspecies is a innovative semi-wild breeding program in progress in Sabah, Malaysia.
The Bornean rhino is not the only one facing extinction. Poaching, along with habitat loss, has pushed four of the world’s five rhino species toward extinction, including the Indian, black, Sumatran, and Javan. The most secure species, the white rhino, is now facing record poaching in Africa. Poachers target rhinos for their horn, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine even though a number of scientific studies have shown the horns have no curative benefits whatsoever.
To read more about rhinos.