Meeting the Challenge of Preserving Endangered Species
The National Zoo’s Rhino
Project studies the three major species of rhinoceros,
African black, African white
and Indian, to facilitate management and conservation,
enhance reproduction and ensure animal well-being.
Saving the World’s Rhinos
Rhinos have existed on Earth for more than 50 million years,
at one time constituting a diverse array of species that
lived throughout North America and Europe as well as
in Africa and Asia. Today, only five species of rhino
survive, and nearly all are on the verge of extinction.
Without far-reaching action, rhinos could be extinct
in the wild within a few decades.
Development of viable captive populations is vital to the success of rhino conservation and to understanding the species’ biology. There currently are only 3,100 black, 11,700 white, 2,400 Indian, 300 Sumatran, and 60 Javan rhinos living in the wild, with a global captive population of about 1,200 (250 black, 780 white, 140 Indian, 15 Sumatran).
Scientists in the Department of Reproductive Sciences at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park are pioneers in rhino biology, developing methods to study and improve reproduction and health for aiding rhino conservation.
Highest Priority
Protection in the wild is by far the optimal and preferred method for conserving rhinos. However, it is quite difficult to collect certain types of vital, physiological data from wild rhinos, and these populations are quite vulnerable to catastrophes such as drought and poaching. Hence, captive populations with successful breeding programs are an insurance policy that should and can be part of a diversified strategy that maximizes options and minimizes disasters.
Department of Reproductive Sciences researchers are working with national rhino conservation organizations to create self-sustaining captive populations of black, white, and Indian rhinos.
Problems Facing Rhinos in Zoos
In the white rhinoceros, subfertility (lack of normal reproductive cyclicity, mate incompatibility, conception failure and pregnancy loss) is a major challenge.
Captive black rhinoceroses (unlike their free-ranging counterparts or the captive white rhino) develop unusual diseases that adversely effect animal health.
In all species of rhino, high stillbirth rates continue to plague our ability to propagate these species. We need to better understand the physiology, social, behavioral and environmental factors that contribute to these problems.
How Do You Assess Reproduction and Well-being in a Rhinoceros?
Hormones control reproductive success and an animal’s ability to cope with stress. Knowing an animal’s hormone patterns assists with diagnosing and correcting hormone-related problems. Historically, measuring hormones was done by taking blood samples in anesthetized animals—the only safe way.
Our scientists have pioneered methods to measure critical hormones without inducing stress—by analyzing hormones in feces, urine, and even saliva. This technology has been key to understanding various aspects of infertility problems, aiding in the development of assisted reproductive techniques, and improving breeding management.
Particularly exciting are recent advances to measure "stress" hormones. Having this information can allow managers to modify and enrich zooenvironments, thereby improving reproduction, health and animal well-being.
Meeting the Challenge
Supporting this program will create new knowledge to help develop practical conservation tools that will benefit rhino in the wild and in captivity. Our studies are conducted in partnership with other specialists worldwide with the results published in the most prestigious scientific journals. Additionally, we emphasize training of young scientists who represent the next generation of conservationists.
Projects in Need of Support
- Increase our knowledge of reproductive biology and management for breeding success in all rhino species, but especially the white rhinoceros.
- Investigating causes and developing treatments for health problems that cause unacceptably high mortality of black rhino in captivity.
- Adapting new technologies and knowledge developed from captive herds to studying rhinos living in nature.
- Training talented young scientists interested in rhino biology, including those from range countries.
