The black rhino, also known as the hooked lip rhinoceros, is the smaller of the two African rhino species and due to poaching, has become considered critically endangered over the past half-century. The current population of black rhinos is currently hovering around 5,500 globally.
Standing at just over five feet tall and weighing in at anywhere between 1,750-3000 pounds, this majestic creature spends its time in the semi-desert Savannah, Woodlands, Forests, and Wetlands. Unlike other safari animals, the black rhino is a browser rather than a grazer when it comes to consuming food. What this means is that the rhino eats leaves and bark from their body level or higher while grazers stay low to the ground and feast on nutrient rich grass.
Wildlife crime is the largest reason for the steep decline in black rhino population. Black-market trafficking of rhino horns continues to create tension between humans and the black rhino community and depends on organizations like Animals of Tomorrow for support.