Keeping the five alive

Rhinos once roamed across much of North America and Europe, throughout Africa and southeast Asia. Today, they only survive in pockets of protected areas in southern and eastern Africa and in a handful of Asian countries. The five remaining species are comprised of 10 subspecies. All rhino species are under threat of extinction, and one – the Sumatran rhino – is on the verge of disappearing. Across the five species there are only about 28,000 of these marvelous creatures are left on Earth. The greatest threats to rhinos are poaching, habitat loss, and for some species, isolated small populations unable to reproduce.

The five rhino species are very different from each other in biology, behavior, environments, and conservation needs.