Black rhino numbers fell from about 100,000 in the mid-20th century to fewer than 2,400 due to unregulated hunting, poaching, and habitat loss.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by multiple independent conservation organizations (SANBI, CNN, Tusk Trust, Save the Rhino, African Parks) with consistent figures showing collapse from ~100,000 to ~2,400 due to poaching and habitat loss. Minor variation in exact numbers/dates across sources but core claim well supported. [tier=unverified indep_score=0.32 clusters=5 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- Measuring black rhino recovery (seed:environment_and_wildlife)
- https://speciesstatus.sanbi.org/assessment/last-assessment/2019/ (corroboration)
- https://www.cnn.com/science/gallery/black-rhino-photos-c2e-spc/index.html (corroboration)
- https://tusk.org/species/black-rhino/ (corroboration)
- https://www.africanparks.org/save-rhinos (corroboration)
- https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino-info/population-figures/ (corroboration)