What was the approximate minimum wild population reached by the Southern White Rhino during its near-extinction event?
Answer
Perhaps only fifty individuals
The recovery story of the Southern White Rhino (*Ceratotherium simum simum*) is remarkable because its starting point following near collapse was incredibly low. During the early 1900s, intensive human pressures decimated the population until only an estimated fifty individuals remained in the wild. This low number starkly contrasts with the current population, which has rebounded to approximately 16,800 individuals, reflecting a significant success story stemming from intensive, sustained conservation efforts implemented across Southern Africa. This demonstrates the underlying biological resilience of the species when existential threats like poaching and habitat loss are managed.
Related Questions
Which mammals share the order Perissodactyla with the white rhinoceros, *Ceratotherium simum*?What element of the scientific designation *Ceratotherium simum* describes the rhino's distinctive wide muzzle?What key ecological specialization defines the modern *C. simum* compared to its ancestral forms?Which related rhino species is structurally adapted for stripping foliage from bushes, contrasting with the White Rhino's grazing?What demographic context describes the current situation of the Northern White Rhino (*Ceratotherium simum cottoni*)?What was the approximate minimum wild population reached by the Southern White Rhino during its near-extinction event?What physical characteristic reflects the White Rhino's specialization as a grazer, contrasting with ancestral browsers?For approximately how many million years has the mammalian lineage that includes the white rhino persisted on Earth?What significant evolutionary transition does the genus *Ceratotherium* represent in rhino history concerning diet and size?In what specific year did the last known male Northern White Rhino die, leading to the subspecies' functional extinction?What distinguishing cranial feature has historically been noted in the Northern White Rhino (*C. s. cottoni*) compared to the Southern subspecies?What are the three primary defining adaptations contributing to the evolutionary success of the white rhinoceros species over millions of years?