2019-12-05 03:43:02
These easily recognizable creatures are native to middle and southern Africa. They are some of the largest land-dwelling mammals in the world, reaching weights of up to 6,000 pounds. Like other rhino species, white rhinos are heavily poached for their horns. Powdered horn is used in traditional Asian medicine, supposedly curing a range of illnesses from fevers to cancer. Uncontrolled hunting in the colonial era was historically the major factor in the decline of white rhinos; however, hundreds of white rhinos are poached annually. They are particularly vulnerable to hunting due to their unaggressive nature and their occurrence in herds.