Important Ecosystem Engineers
Just a few decades ago, thousands of Black Rhinos roamed Africa. They were hunted and poached for their horns in horrifying numbers. Sadly today, only around 6,000 remain in the world.
With their large size and herbivorous diet of grasses, shrubs and trees, Black Rhinos work as ecosystem engineers to help shape and reshape their environment. Their everyday actions help maintain the biodiversity of their habitat, allowing for hundreds of other species of flora and fauna to flourish.
Sadly, habitat loss and poaching has driven this majestic animal to its critically endangered status. As the population of wild Black Rhinos shrinks and becomes fragmented across the African continent, the overall survival of the species is made more uncertain.