One of the largest living land mammals, rhinoceroses once shared the earth with saber-toothed cats and the earliest humanlike apes.

But despite their ancient lineage and notoriously thick skin, rhinos are a fragile group. Poaching, trophy hunting and habitat loss are driving these magnificent creatures to the brink of extinction.

African white rhino, National park of Kenya, Africa
Volodymyr Burdiak
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Alamy Stock photo
Rhinos need our help.

Of the five remaining rhinoceros species in the world, three are critically endangered—one step away from becoming extinct in the wild—and the other two are vulnerable to following the same path.

 

WARNING: The following photo may be too graphic for some viewers.

Living rhino suffering with horn removed
To prevent poachers from taking rhino horns, leaving the animals deformed and suffering like this, rhinos are sometimes preemptively dehorned (a pain-free process akin to trimming one’s fingernails).
Paul Hilton UTTAM SAIKIA
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Paul Hilton Photography
Did you know?

Some species of rhinos have one horn while others have two. The horns are made up primarily of keratin, a protein found in fingernails and animal hooves. Sadly, their magnificent horns sell for big bucks in the illegal wildlife trade, making rhinos a coveted target by poachers.

A male leopard of approximately 70 kg is shot in Namibia by a white hunter

Stand with us in condemning the killing of wildlife for trophies, both in the United States and around the world. Sign the petition to end this cruel and unsportsmanlike pastime.

Lord Mountbatten / Wikemedia Commons