The Black is Back

The first Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) from a breeding program was released into the wild recently and the BBC was there to see it. This is really amazing seeing as the population is about 500 today down from an estimated 20,000 in the 1970's. The videos are amazing and it is great to see that their breeding is overcoming the major setback of last year.

Rhinos are solitary creatures that only come together for mating. Because of this, and the fact that gestation is up to 16 months, they don't really breed at a very rapid pace. It has been an effort to get this far with these majestic and powerful creatures. I am excited to share this story with you all. Hopefully, I will be able to see Black Rhinos in the wild one day. I was worried I wouldn't be able to a few months ago!

Photo used under license via Creative Commons.

Photo taken and uploaded by Matthew Field http://www.mattfield.com