The rhinoceros can be called one of the largest equids on earth. Previously, its population was more numerous, but today only five varieties remain. Three of them live in Asia and two live in Africa.
Black look
As a rule, where does the rhinoceros live? In the savannah in the African expanses, this animal is found quite often. There are many black individuals in the east, south and center. There used to be much more of them, before the Europeans invaded the continent and began extermination.
In the 20th century, this species numbered 13.5 thousand heads. Since then, the situation has only worsened, and the population has declined to 3.5 thousand. They are also found in South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and some other countries.
Reserved areas have been created where rhinos live in relative safety from poaching, which mainly flourishes in the west. The situation there is unstable, so it is quite difficult to count the number of animals. Statistics need to be constantly updated. In protected areas, there is a good birth rate and positive indicators, while in the west one of the subspecies is completely extinct.
White individuals
Where does the white rhinoceros live? In the same Africa. Its images can be found in rock paintings, which suggests that this variety has been here for a very long time.
Europeans met with the animal in 1857 in the south of the continent. They began an active hunt for it, as a result of which, after 35 years, only a few individuals remained. Miraculously, this animal survived, it was discovered in 1892 in places where people had not penetrated before near the river. Umfolosi.
Beginning in 1897, the places where rhinos live began to be protected. In 2010, a statistical summary was compiled, according to which 20 thousand individuals remained. For the most part, the species is stable and even shows some growth in the south, although there was a moment when the population decreased from 2500 (as of 1960) to 5 representatives in 2014. So the threat of extinction hangs inexorably over the species. They demand protection of the place where rhinos live. A photo may be the only thing we can see them with in the not too distant future if we don't take proper care of it.
In Asia
Of course, this beautiful animal is not only in Africa. Exploring the question of where the rhinoceros lives, in which country, we learn that they are also found in the south and southeast of Asia. I especially liked the Indian view of the Hindu Kush mountains. Once these animals were quite typical inhabitants of Iran, as well as China, their remains were found in Yakutia.
Exploring history, we can conclude that all the troubles of these animals are from Europeans, who at one time arrived andto Asia, they began to cut down the jungle. The population increased, so that wildlife became crowded. For hunting in places where rhinos live, firearms were used. Now, as in Africa, these animals can only be found in places that are carefully guarded.
In our time, the main habitat of the Indian type is Bangladesh, Nepal, a lot of it can be found in Pakistan, as well as the province of Sindh in India. There are many of them in nature reserves and parks of national importance. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, a small number of individuals can still be found living freely in places where people rarely go.
Kaziranga, a national park in India where there are 1,600 of these rhinos, is working to conserve the population. The Nepalese Chitwan reserve also shows good performance, where there are 600 of them. In Pakistan, there is a nature protection complex Lal Suhantra, where there are 300 of them.
Sumatran Rhino
There is also a Sumatran variety of this animal, which also had a large distribution in Asia. You could meet its representatives in India, China, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, etc.
As a rule, the places where rhinos live are swamps and forests in the tropics. Now they can be found only on a few islands, the number is 275 individuals. This type has been included in the Red Book as it is on the verge of extinction.
The Last Hero
Also, the Javan rhinoceros is found in nature, the representatives of which are the least in the world. It used to flourish, it could be found in the southeast and south Asia, in particular India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, as well as Malacca, Sumatra and Java. At the moment, the situation is deplorable, since there are only 30-60 individuals left living in Indonesia and Java. In other places, the species became extinct in the last century. They tried to keep him in the zoo, however, the idea did not justify itself, since the last representative of this type living in captivity died in 2008.
The problem of the disappearance of rhinos is quite urgent. Efforts are being made to resolve it. In the centuries preceding our time, these animals were treated somewhat disrespectfully, they were exterminated for selfish purposes, but nature is also patient up to a certain point, so many species simply could not withstand the pressure of man.
Now, environmental organizations are trying to restore the fragile balance they have lost. In many medical practices, peace and quiet are often prescribed to the patient. The extinction of the rhinoceros can be called a disease that is cured by providing the animal with calm living conditions.
