The northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is the most critically endangered rhino subspecies and the most endangered mammalian taxa in the world.
Northern white rhinos used to range freely over parts of Uganda, Chad, Sudan, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As recently as 1960 more than 2,000 northern white rhinos still existed, but the situation has deteriorated rapidly since then. Wholesale slaughter for horn, hide and meat has driven the northern white rhino to the very brink of extinction. Until recently, the only known wild northern white rhino population was clinging to survival in Garamba National Park north-east Democratic Republic of Congo, but this area continues to be ravaged by civil war and armed conflict, with devastating consequences for the wildlife and the people assigned to protect it.
In recent decades the Garamba population managed to crawl back to about 30 animals, but then crashed to four in 2005. There has been no sign of the remaining rhinos since 2007. An opportunity to translocate some of these animals to a secure conservation area appeared before the crash, but the initiative failed. The last remaining wild population may now be extinct. Thus the focus has now shifted to the last remaining option involving the last northern white rhino held in captivity.
