Black Rhino Sub-Species
EASTERN BLACK RHINO
The eastern black rhino, Diceros bicornis michaeli, has longer, more slender and more curved horns than the two southern subspecies, and is reputedly more aggressive. Some Diceros bicornis michaeli have very distinctive skin ridges on their sides giving them a “corrugated” appearance. Historically, this subspecies was distributed from southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, through Kenya and into northern-central Tanzania. Its current stronghold is Kenya, with smaller populations in South Africa and Tanzania.
Survival of the eastern black rhino in Ethiopia needs confirmation. One important free-ranging population of this subspecies occurred outside its range in Ado Elephant National Park in South Africa. However, these animals have been moved to private sanctuaries in both South Africa and Tanzania, within the natural range of the subspecies, as well as to the captive population in the US. The D. b. michaeli have been moved to allow D. b. bicornis to be introduced into Addo.
SOUTHWESTERN BLACK RHINO
This larger, straighter-horned and more arid-adapted subspecies, Diceros bicornis bicornis, originally ranged through Namibia, southern Angola, western Botswana and southwestern South Africa. Significant populations have remained in the desert and arid savannah areas of Namibia, which is today the subspecies’ stronghold. In recent years, some small populations have been reestablished southwestern South Africa.
SOUTHERN CENTRAL BLACK RHINO
The south-central black rhino, Diceros bicornis minor, is the most numerous of the black rhino subspecies. The subspecies historically occurred from western and southern Tanzania, through Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and in the northern and eastern parts of South Africa. It also probably occurred in Southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), northern Angola, and eastern Botswana. Today, its stronghold is South Africa and to a lesser extent Zimbabwe, with smaller numbers remaining in Swaziland, southern Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, and Zambia. There are plans to reintroduce a number of animals to Botswana.
The western black rhino, Diceros bicornis longipes, which once ranged through west central Africa’s savannahs, is now thought to be extinct.
