Southwestern black rhino

Scientific name: Diceros bicornis occidentalis

A subspecies of the black rhino, the southwestern black rhino faces an immense threat of poaching. Rhino horns are often used in traditional medicine and for decorative purposes, which caused the southwestern black rhino to be hunted to near extinction for its horns. Habitat loss has also been devastating for black rhino populations.

Unlike the black rhino as a species, which the IUCN classifies as critically endangered, the southwestern black rhino has seen its population bounce back from the brink in recent years. Projects like SOS African Wildlife that involve population management and monitoring, as well as a crackdown on poaching, have been helping steadily increase southwestern black rhino numbers to the point where the species is now classed as near threatened by the IUCN.