Facts and Figures
World Rhino Day
Observed on 22 September every year, World Rhino Day celebrates these magnificent herbivores, among the largest land animals alive. However, despite conservation and breeding success stories, four of the species are in danger of going extinct. At present, almost 28,000 of these odd-toed ungulates remain.
Black rhino numbers fell from around 70,000 in 1970 to just 2,410 in 1995, a staggering 96% decline in 25 years. Conservation efforts have since helped the population climb back to some 6,788.
The Greater one-horned rhino (or Indian rhino) isn’t just comfortable in water – it can swim, dive, and feed underwater. The species can also run at speeds of up to 40 km/h, despite weighing as much as 2,500 kg.
South Africa’s Kruger National Park recorded 175 rhinos poached in 2025, nearly double its 2024 figure of 88. That means the park alone accounted for almost half of South Africa’s rhinos lost to poaching that year.
A rhino’s “armour” isn’t actually armour: THE GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINO’S DISTINCTIVE FOLDS CREATE AN ARMOUR-LIKE APPEARANCE, but they’re actually thick folds of skin. Its skin can form pronounced plates around the shoulders, neck and legs, giving it its almost prehistoric appearance.
The Javan rhino is among the rarest large mammals on Earth, with an estimated 50 Javan rhino remaining. Even more concerning, the entire population is confined to one location, Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia.
The five surviving rhino species
- White rhino: 15,752
- Black rhino: 6,788
- Greater one-horned rhino: 4,075
- Sumatran rhino: 34-47
- Javan rhino: 50
