The western black rhino of Africa is officially extinct.
After not being seen in western Africa since 2006, the western black rhino has officially been labeled extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, CNN reports.
The western black rhino may not be the only rhino to join the extinction list as IUCN says Africa's northern white rhino is on the borderline of extinction. Asia's Javan rhino is also in trouble due to poaching.
"In the case of the western black rhino and the northern white rhino the situation could have had very different results if the suggested conservation measures had been implemented," Simon Stuart, chair of the IUCN species survival commission said according to CNN. "These measures must be strengthened now, specifically managing habitats in order to improve performance, preventing other rhinos from fading into extinction."
The IUCN says the southern white rhino has been doing well due to conservation. The population rose from less than 100 at the end of the 19th century to about 20,000 today. Due to a captive breeding program, the Przewalski's Horse, which was listed as extinct in the wild in 1996, now has a population of 300.
The IUCN has determined that 25 percent of mammals are close to extinction out of 60,000 species. Several plant species are also threatened like the Chinese Fir. In the Indian Ocean archipelago, three quarters of 79 tropical plants are at risk of extinction.
"This update offers both good and bad news on the status of many species around the world," Jane Smart, director of IUCN's global species program said according to CNN. "We have the knowledge that conservation works if executed in a timely manner, yet, without strong political will in combination with targeted efforts and resources, the wonders of nature and the services it provides can be lost forever."
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