Reflection No.2

White Rhinoceros
Source: http://mammals.suite101.com/article.cfm/endangered_mammals_of_africa_white_rhinoceros

Pictue source: http://sites.google.com/a/rock.k12.nc.us/jones-rhino-readers/_/rsrc/1226165624131/Home/RhinoCartoon1.jpg

1) What is the article about?
This article is about why the white rhinoceros are being threatened.
This is what the article states:
- Cave paintings in Europe and Asia confirm that early European man knew White Rhinoceros. The Rhino roamed free on the African savanna and are depicted in historic Bushman painting found for instance at Twyfelfontein in Namibia, Africa.
Factors that contribute to the near demise of the White Rhino are legion and include:
- Upon exploring new territory, settlers hunted the rhino both for food and to rid the land of dangerous beasts in order to start farming operations. Conservation of wildlife did not receive consideration, as the survival of the humans in the new, unchartered territory, was paramount.
- White Rhinoceros inhabits long-and-short-grass savannahs and woodlands of southern and central Africa. It requires relatively flat terrain, bush for cover, grass for grazing and water for drinking and wallowing in. Continuing deforestation and usurping of grasslands to make way for farming activities resulted in the rapid shrinking of available natural habitat where White Rhino can exist.
- Trophy hunting of White Rhino contributed to the second largest land mammal's near extinction. African hunting safaris, although less popular today, were unregulated until the middle 1900s and hunting Rhino were regarded as one of the most dangerous and rewarding hunts.
- Civil war on the African continent resulted in the demise of most of the wildlife in the war-torn countries. The White Rhino were not spared, and today the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, threatens the existence of the few remaining northern white rhinoceros.
- Poverty and greed provides a fertile breeding ground for the illegal trade in Rhino horn and poaching of Rhino to obtain the horn is rife today. Alleged medicinal use of Rhino horn in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the ornamental value of the horn as a dagger handle in North Africa and the Middle East, still makes poaching these animals a lucrative business.


Picture source: http://www.elsaelsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/rhino-cartoon.jpg

2) What have I learnt from this article?
From this article, I had learnt about why the white rhinoceros' are being threatened. Early European men knew that the white rhinoceros roamed free on the African savanna. Upon exploring the new territory, the settlers hunted the white rhinoceros' for both food and get rid of the land of dangerous beasts in order to start farming operations. The conservation of wildlife did not consider, as humans were of paramount significance. Trophy hunting of White Rhinoceros’ contributed to the second largest land mammal's near extinction. African hunting safaris, although less popular today, were unregulated until the middle 1900s and hunting Rhino were regarded as one of the most dangerous and rewarding hunts. Civil war on the African continent resulted in the demise of most of the wildlife in the war-torn countries and the White Rhinoceros’ were not spared. Poverty and greed provides a fertile breeding ground for the illegal trade in Rhino horn and poaching of Rhino to obtain the horn is rife today. Alleged medicinal use of Rhino horn in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the ornamental value of the horn as a dagger handle in North Africa and the Middle East, still makes poaching these animals a lucrative business.

3) My Perspectives
Before I read this article, my knowledge only extends to the limit of knowing only one cause of the endangered white rhinoceros and that is that hunters like to hunt the white rhinoceros' horns and sell them off at a high price.
After I read this article, I know that in the past, when the early european men were settling down at a new territory to explore, they actually hunted white rhinoceros for both food and to get rid of the land of dangerous beasts in order to start farming operations!
Next, trophy hunting of White Rhinoceros’ contributed to the second largest land mammal's near extinction.
Also, throughout the civil war on the African continent resulted in the demise of most of the wildlife in the war-torn countries and the White Rhinoceros’ were not spared.
Lastly, Poverty and greed provides a fertile breeding ground for the illegal trade in Rhino horn and poaching of Rhino to obtain the horn is rife today. Alleged medicinal use of Rhino horn in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the ornamental value of the horn as a dagger handle in North Africa and the Middle East, still makes poaching these animals a lucrative business.