New hope for world's most endangered mammal

Genetic analysis of northern and southern white rhinos reveals new information for species conservation

Date:  November 7, 2018

Source:  Cardiff University

New genetic analysis of white rhino populations suggests it could be possible to rescue the critically endangered northern white rhinoceros from extinction, using the genes of its less threatened southern cousin.

Analysing genetic samples from 232 rhinos, researchers from Cardiff University and the University of Venda found that despite the northern and southern populations of white rhinos splitting from each other one million years ago they have occasionally shared genes during cold and arid periods, when African grasslands expanded, as recent as 14,000 years ago.

Dr Isa-Rita Russo from Cardiff University, said: "By looking at the white rhino's population history we've been able to establish that there was contact between northern and southern rhino populations throughout history.

"This is an exciting find! Genetic proof of contact between the populations suggests it may be possible to successfully rescue the northern white rhinoceros using southern white rhinoceros genes to create embryos, although further data would need to be collected to confirm this."

White rhinoceros distribution across Africa is divided into populations in the north and south. The southern population declined to its lowest number around the turn of the nineteenth century, but recovered to become the world's most numerous rhinoceros. In contrast, the northern population was common during much of the twentieth century, declining rapidly since the 1970s, leaving only two remaining post-reproductive rhinos.

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Young Southern white rhinos may produce four distinct, context-dependent calls

Small sample of calves also suggests call development might be innate

Date:  March 7, 2018

Source:  PLOS

Summary:

Young Southern white rhinos may produce four distinct calls in differing behavioral contexts, according to a new study.

Young Southern white rhinos may produce four distinct calls in differing behavioral contexts, according to a study published March 7, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sabrina Linn and Marina Scheumann from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen, Germany, and colleagues.

Describing species' vocal repertoires can provide insights into how they communicate. Little is known about how young Southern white rhinos vocalize, and how their calls compare to those of adult rhinos. The authors of the present study characterized vocalizations in a small sample of rhino calves, aged between one month and four years old, at three zoos in Germany. They used audio and video to record the calls of seven calves reared by their mothers as well as one hand-reared calf.

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Baby rhino born at Werribee zoo dies after suffering bacterial infection

The three-day old southern white rhino, Salt, was put down by veterinarians when her condition worsened due to an incurable inflammation of the stomach

Oliver Milman

theguardian.com, Tuesday 30 December 2014 23.01 GMT

The baby rhino, Salt, being fed by zoo staff after birth (this video has no sound)

A three-day-old rhino born at Werribee Open Range zoo has died after suffering an “aggressive” bacterial infection, the zoo has confirmed.

Veterinary staff decided to put the baby rhino down after an endoscopy revealed that the infection had caused irreparable damage to its stomach.

After its birth on Saturday, the infant female rhino was placed in round-the-clock intensive care due to an infection contracted from her mother, Si Si.

Zoo staff said the rhino initially responded well to antibiotics but then started to lose interest in drinking her milk and was showing signs of discomfort. The endoscopy showed an inflammation of the stomach lining due to an additional infection. The zoo said the condition was incurable.

The rhino was given the interim name of Salt, until an African name was chosen. She had an 18-month-old sister called Kipenzi.

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White Rhino Joining Endangered Species List

The United States has listed the southern white rhinoceros as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act to curb the rampant poaching of wild populations.

The United States is a hub for the rhino horn trade, and products often transit here en route to South East Asia. Indeed, the United States has the greatest number of trophy hunters importing horns as trophies, said Teresa Telecky, director of wildlife for the Humane Society International.

Between 2002 and 2012, Americans imported 116 horn carvings, 206 horn pieces, 63 horns and 688 hunting trophies (including the head and horns of a rhino), according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Criminals in the U.S. buy these trophies and sell them in China or Vietnam, where the horns are used in folk remedies for their perceived, though non-existent, medicinal properties. Libation cups are also often carved from the horns in Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures. Horns are sold for about $65,000 per kilogram.

All this has doomed the rhino, which is being poached in record numbers across its range.

Four species of rhinos — the Javan, black, Sumatran, and Indian — which are highly endangered are already protected under the Endangered Species Act. The southern white rhino is the fifth and final addition (the northern white subspecies went extinct in 2006).

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