Eastern black rhinoceros

Eastern Black Rhinoceros
Conservation status
	; Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	Rhinocerotidae
Genus:	Diceros
Species:	D. bicornis
Subspecies:	D. b. michaeli
Trinomial name
	Diceros bicornis michaeli; Zukowsky, 1965

The Eastern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli) is also known as the East African Black Rhinoceros. It is a subspecies of the Black Rhino. Its numbers are very low due to poaching for its horn and it is listed as critically endangered.

Description

The Eastern Black Rhino is distinguishable from the southern subspecies as it has a longer, leaner, and more curved horn. Its skin is also very grooved. Diceros bicornis michaeli is also reportedly more aggressive than the other three subspecies of Black Rhino. They are browsers and are usually found in highland forest and savanna habitat.

Population and Threats

Once located in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, now they can only be found in Kenya (86.3 % of the remaining population survives here) and in northern Tanzania. The population has declined 90% in the last three generations and their population is stable only in Kenya. In 2008 their numbers were estimated at 700 rhinos in the wild^[1]. They are threatened mainly from illegal poaching for their horns.