Thanks to rampant poaching and habitat destruction, rhinos have the unfortunate distinction of being one of the most endangered animals on earth.

Over the last 30 years, the world’s overall rhinoceros population has declined by over 90% - and if not for dedicated conservation efforts over the last 100 years, it is likely that all rhinoceros species would already be extinct.

To help raise awareness for these proud pachyderms, here are 11 incredible facts about rhinos - plus a compilation of beautiful photos (except for one very graphic photo) and a couple of videos, too. Enjoy!

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Tanzania is reportedly preparing to ask CITES to lift the trade ban on elephant ivory, much to the dismay of its EAC neighbors, conservationists, and members of the tourism industry.

In a move that would surely undermine East African conservation efforts, Tanzania has taken up the position that a sanctioned sale of elephant ivory would provide much-needed financial support to the country’s anti-poaching measures.

This comes as a shock to the East African Community (EAC), considering that last year’s sanctioning of a one-off ivory auction is to blame for igniting a scourge of rampant elephant killings throughout Africa - particularly Kenya.

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Officials from elephant range states are meeting in Delhi this week in hopes of finding a solution to the growing number of elephant killings in India.

Loss of habitat leading to an increase of conflicts between elephants and humans, combined with the invasion of poachers into government-protected zones, are resulting in an unacceptable increase in elephant deaths in India.

To address this issue, officials from India’s elephant range states are gathering in Delhi this week.

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Thanks to the controversial approval of a one-off ivory sale, illegal trade in ivory has been reinvigorated - and 100 elephants a day are being slaughtered.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) approved a one-off elephant ivory auction in 2008 of 119 tons (108 tonnes) - representing over 10,000 dead elephants - and this decision is believed to have stimulated the growing illegal ivory market.

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Disturbing details have emerged about the recent death of a rhino in India’s Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary.

Now that a postmortem exam has confirmed that last week’s death of a greater one-horned rhino inside Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary was due to a poacher’s bullet, inexperienced forest guards are suspected of trying to cover up the incident.

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As wild tiger populations dwindle, poachers are turning to lions to feed the insatiable Chinese appetite for ‘potions’ made from big cat bones.

Conservationists are sounding the alarm about a disturbing development in the fight to save wildlife from poaching: Lions are being killed as a substitute for tigers so their bones can be sold as Chinese “remedies.”

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From the proposed bill to protect the North American black bear to the resurgence of elephant poaching in Kenya - and the skinning of a tiger inside an Indonesian zoo - the issues are not over yet.

Lions and tigers and bears … and elephants, whales, and rhino: Here are a few updates - as of today - on nine of my wildlife conservation posts. Four zoo posts are included, as zoos are (ideally) intended to be facilities for protecting precious wildlife.

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One of the world’s most famous gorillas died recently in Rwanda at the age of 35.  Titus, also known as the Gorilla King, starred in the popular Dr. Dian Fossey 1988 film “Gorillas in the Mist.” The silverback gorilla was also featured in a BBC documentary “Titus - The Gorilla King.”

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Nine black rhino from Zululand game reserves are being airlifted to a new home as part of a range expansion project for the critically endangered species.

In an effort to ensure the survival of critically endangered black rhino, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) are partnering on a project designed to establish founder populations of black rhino throughout KwaZulu Natal and other parts of Africa.

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According to reports, poachers are using another method to kill animals - electrocution.   Officials are reporting poachers in Orissa’s Ganjam district of India are using livewires to kill deer, wild boars, bears and blackbucks.

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Wildlife officials in India’s Kaziranga National Park discover grass laced with poisoned salt - the latest attempt by poachers to kill rhino.

Unfortunately, five cattle have died after consuming grass laced with poison salt hear the edge of Kaziranga National Park. The deaths happened in the Baghmari area near the Burapaha range - and authorities believe the poison was actually meant for the park’s rhino.

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A Democratic Republic of Congo soldier was killed by a hippo while fishing illegally in Virunga National Park’s Lake Edward.

Despite the ban on fishing in Lake Edward, a member of Democratic Republic of Congo government forces, along with five others, were poaching fish from the lake when a hippo overturned their boat.

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Despite the growing list of suspicious coincidences, a Chinese official has denied links between increased elephant killings in Kenya and a nearby influx of Chinese workers.

Recently, an increasing series of unfortunate events have suggested that Chinese workers in Kenya could be linked to a rise in elephant killings near these work sites. But according to an article in China Daily, there is no connection.

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Disturbing information suggests that the wording of a Chinese forestry administration document is ambiguous enough to allow trade in products derived from critically endangered tigers.

According to The Times UK, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC has sounded the alarm about a document issued by the Chinese State Forestry Administration, warning that the wording is “loose” enough to encourage China’s deplorable tiger farmers to begin processing tiger-derived products.

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A pair of bloodhounds from Britain join Kenya’s war against wildlife poachers.

Two bloodhounds, named Pension and Drastic, have arrived safely in Kenya to begin their new lives. The dogs’ legendary scenting abilities will be used to track poachers across the Amboseli reserve, Tsavo National Park and the Chyulu Hills.

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Are poachers in KwaZulu Natal now targeting dogs - in addition to wildlife?

Shocked residents living near the Everton Conservancy in Kloof are fearing for the safety of their dogs. According to a disturbing report in The Times SA, authorities suspect that dogs are being stolen from families and being used as bait by poachers to lure wild animals into illegal snares.

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Forest guards in India’s Kaziranga National Park might be closer to getting the weapons - and permissions - they need to fight poachers.

New Delhi has been asked by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) to step up anti-poaching efforts in Kaziranga National Park, where a greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) was recently killed. According to the Times of India, resource requests are likely to include acquisition of stronger equipment for forest officials, such as powerful firearms and night vision tools, as well as increased financial support. There is also an emphasis on local community involvement - important because poachers tempt locals with financial rewards to assist them in their killings of the park’s protected species.

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The good news: Four men were arrested after a vehicle inspection yielded two recently butchered rhino horns and a .303 rifle. The bad news: KwaZulu Natal has now lost 19 rhino to poachers this year.

Thanks to quick action by Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife (EKZNW) field rangers, there are four less poachers in the region. Upon hearing a single gunshot in the Makhamisa area of the Imfolozi section, EKZNW field rangers acted immediately with Imfolozi management and police to set up a roadblock that led to the arrests.

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Over the weekend, poachers in Georgia snuck into the swampy pond area behind Brown and Feed Seed, and killed a popular 200-pound alligator named Big Boy. 

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Authorities fear that the killing of Sheila the tiger at Jambi’s Rimbo Zoo is a shocking new development in the illegal wildlife trade. The tiger’s skin, along with body parts in demand for traditional Asian “remedies”, were taken from the tiger’s enclosure.

Officials noted that even the tiger’s blood had been collected.

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