There are only four of these left in the world.

[rug]

http://imgur.com/gallery/trLr6

[cyberswede]

1. I'm probably projecting, but he looks sad.

[rug]

2. In the comments someone mentioned they cut his horn to increase his odds against poachers.

[HopeHoops]

3. He looks like he's diggin' the belly rub. What a kind fellow that is treating him that way.

[rug]

4. He does.

What a world. Armed guards watching one of the last living northern white rhinos.

[HopeHoops]

6. Yeah, ethics is of questionable viability as well.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. K&R

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. this thread needs more Recs and more exposure. bkmrking and kicking again.

[sakabatou]

8. It's so sad to see these animals dwindle to such a low number

[alphafemale]

9. What a gentle giant.

And I have absolutely no problem with shooting poachers on sight.

[zen_bohemian]

10. What a beautiful animal, at the same time what a sad photo

What has this world come to...........shakes head.

[XemaSab]

11. Not a fan of cultures that kill these magnificent creatures

[Flaxbee]

12. humans just break my heart.

These animals killed just so men can feel virile by ingesting rhino horn.

How awfully pathetic, what a horrible statement about humanity.

I usually avoid news like this just so I can get through my day without despair.

[Bertha Venation]

14. "I usually avoid news like this just so I can get through my day without despair."

Once again I'm struck by the things we have in common.

[wtmusic]

17. A horrible statement about men

but if I wasn't so manly I wouldn't want to kick their ass : )

At least the nice men are trying to protect this one.

[petronius]

18. I have a lot of admiration for the rangers who are willing to put their own lives

on the line to protect these species, especially where so much poaching is due to rebel groups and national armies. The NY Times just had an interesting (albeit depressing) article about elephant poaching, mainly in the DRC:

Both of the rangers’ old belt-fed machine guns jammed that day, and they narrowly escaped (11 have been killed since 2008 and some of the rangers’ children have even been kidnapped). Later investigation showed that the poachers were members of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a brutal rebel outfit that circulates in central Africa, killing villagers and enslaving children. American Special Operations troops are helping several African armies hunt down the group’s phantom of a leader, Joseph Kony, who is believed to be hiding in a remote corner of the Central African Republic.

Ivory may be Mr. Kony’s new lifeline.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/africa/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

[wtmusic]

19. Almost like guarding them adds to the horn's (and ivory's) perceived value

Need to add an extra ring in hell for Joseph Kony.

[Mac1949]

13. Props to Kenya for guarding them so well. nt

[LeftinOH]

15. If there are only four left, it is a "moribund species". Meaning,

the remaining population is too small to return to sustainable levels; once these few survivors finally die, the species is extinct. There is always a 'point of no return', and this species seems to have hit it.

[wtmusic]

16. I would think by now there is a way to preserve its genome

so some day "test tube rhinos" could be raised.

Whether it would be too inbred to survive in the wild is another matter, but possibly by cross-breeding with extant species?

[AmyDeLune]

20. Douglas Adams would weep...

The white rhino was one of the endangered species featured in his book (w/Mark Carwardine) "Last Chance to See"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/

[AnneD]

21. Get the DNA...

Get the DNA.