Save the White Northern Rhino!

African+white+rhino%2C+National+park+of+Kenya

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African white rhino, National park of Kenya

Nicholas Lauzon, 7th grade student

I am writing to you today because people are poaching the northern white rhinoceros. They do this so they can get its horn and then sell it for a lot of money. I am sending you this letter so we can stop the killing of this really endangered animal. Many animals are going extinct, but none as bad as the Northern-White-Rhinos.

 

As of today, there are only two Northern White rhinos left in the world,“Currently, two genetically different subspecies exist, the Northern and Southern White rhino and are found in two different regions in Africa” states the World Wildlife Article. “As of March 2018, there are only two Northern White rhinos left, both of which are female. They live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and are protected round-the-clock by armed guards” (World Wildlife Fund). The rhinos are now being protected by around-the-clock armed guards to keep poachers from poaching them. Some people might think, “Well, why should we care?” This is a huge problem because many poachers are killing these animals for their horns. Killing animals for their horns is terrible. The animal then dies in pain and slow death. 

 

While “uncontrolled hunting in the colonial era caused a major decline of White rhinos, today, poaching is the main threat. The White rhino is particularly vulnerable to poaching because it is relatively unaggressive and lives in herds” (World wildlife fund). Poaching rhinos for their horns is terrible. Poachers do it so they can get the horn and then sell it for money. It is a terrible thing. This is why they are going extinct. 

 

Not only are there 2 female White rhinos left, but also, ”Sudan was the last male Northern White rhinoceros on earth — the end of an evolutionary rope that stretched back millions of years. Although his death was a disaster, it was not a surprise,” said the New York Times. Once Sudan died, it was a disaster. There are now no more male Northern White rhinos in the world. No males mean no kids to keep the rest of the Northern White rhinos alive. Sudan made it so that the Northern white rhinoceros could not have a future on planet Earth. 

 

Finally, instead of killing Northern White rhinos for their horns, maybe start to keep them alive and don’t kill them. Support efforts to protect these amazing animals. Try to not kill these precious animals and others like them around the world because when you do, they are stuck in the slow bleed to their death in the whistling wind. 

 

Works Cited

Harvey, Martin. “White Rhino.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 2021,

www.worldwildlife.org/species/white-rhino. 

Anderson, Sam. “The Last Two Northern White Rhinos On Earth.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Jan. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/magazine/the-last-two-northern-white-rhinos-on-earth.html.