The last time it was seen, it was back in 2006, and now according to the latest review of plants and animals by International Union for Conservation of Nature, Africa's western black rhinoceros is officially extinct, CNN reports.
The subspecies of black rhino was declared extinct in 2011, and recent surveys have failed to locate any individuals. It was critically endangered and on the Red List of Threatened Species, which monitors more than 60,000 animals (25 percent of mammals on the list are at risk), and according to the IUCN, the animals could have been saved if proper conservation efforts had been implemented.
In addition to the western black, Africa's northern white rhino is "teetering on the brink of extinction," while Asia's Javan rhino is "making its last stand," according to the latest IUCN report. Poaching for the ivory in rhino tusks has caused populations of these magnificient animals to decline.
"[Conservation] measures must be strengthened now, specifically managing habitats in order to improve performance, preventing other rhinos from fading into extinction," Simon Stuart, chair of the IUCN species survival commission, said in a statement.
Such conservation efforts have helped prevent the subspecies of white rhino from going extinct. In fact, populations of the animal have risen from less than 100 in the late 19th century to an estimated population of 20,000 in the wild today, according to CNN.
In addition to rhinos, many plants are now under threat of extinction, including a type of yellow tree found in Asia (taxus contorta), populations of Chinese fir, and the Coco de Mer found in the Seychelles islands. Eight tuna species in the ocean are either "threatened" or "near threatened," while 26 recently discovered amphibians, including the blessed poison frog and summers' poison frog," are endangered.
"This update offers both good and bad news on the status of many species around the world," Jane Smart, director of IUCN's global species program said in a statement. "We have the knowledge that conservation works if executed in a timely manner, yet, without strong political will in combination with targeted efforts and resources, the wonders of nature and the services it provides can be lost forever."
Click here to read more about the IUCN's Red List of endangered species.
