The Last Northern White Rhinos on Earth

    When we think of extinction, we often think of dinosaurs. They died off millions of years ago. But many animals today are like Fatu and Najin. They are dying off—or have already died out.  

    A species of tree frog died off in 2016. It had lived in Central America. The baiji was a Chinese river dolphin. It is now gone. Birds in the rainforest are at risk. So are fish in the Pacific Ocean. Experts say 1 million plant and animal species may soon be extinct.

    Why are they dying off? Experts say humans are to blame. People hunt rhinos for their horns. People kill tigers for their beautiful skins. People fish for bluefin tuna and sell them for sushi. More than 97 percent of them are gone from the ocean.

    We often think of extinction as something that happened to dinosaurs millions of years ago. But around the world, there are other animals like Fatu and Najin. 

    In 2016, a species of tree frog in Central America disappeared for good. The baiji, a Chinese river dolphin, is also gone. Beautiful birds in the rainforest and colorful fish in the Pacific Ocean are currently at risk. Experts say 1 million plant and animal species may soon be extinct.

    Why are all these creatures dying off? Scientists say humans are to blame, largely because of hunting and fishing. Rhinos like Fatu and Najin are hunted for their horns. Tigers are killed for their beautiful skins. Bluefin tuna are swept up in nets and sold for sushi—and now more than 97 percent of them are gone from the ocean.

    However, hunting and fishing are only part of the problem. Humans also destroy animals’ habitats. Farmers cut down forests to plant crops. People build houses where animals once lived. Factories dump chemicals in oceans and rivers. There are more than 400 “dead zones” along the world’s coastlines. Fish cannot survive in these dead zones.

    Climate change is a problem too. People burn coal and gas for fuel. That causes the planet to warm. As the planet warms, habitats change. Ocean temperatures rise. Then coral reefs struggle to survive. The fish that live there struggle too. In the far north, polar bears walk on ice to hunt for seals. As the ice melts, the bears go hungry.

    However, guns and fishing nets aren’t the entire problem. Human activity is also destroying animal habitats. Farmers cut down forests to plant vegetables and fruit, people build houses where animals once lived, and factories dump chemicals in oceans and rivers. Scientists have identified more than 400 “dead zones”—places where no fish can survive—along the world’s coastlines.

    Climate change has also added a new threat. When humans burn fuels like coal and gas, the planet warms, causing habitats to change. As ocean temperatures rise, coral reefs struggle to survive. The fish that live there struggle too. In the far north, polar bears roam the ice, hunting for seals. As the ice melts, the bears go hungry.

    Do we really need to worry about a few dying bears? Or Fatu and Najin? 

    Northern white rhinos are just one kind of rhino. The others are in danger too, but they’re still alive. And there are millions more animal species that are doing just fine.

    But experts say that species depend on each other for survival. So when one kind of plant or animal disappears, hundreds more may suffer.

    In Asia and Africa, rhinos have their own role to play. They clear paths as they rumble through bushes. They mow fields when they eat grass. Their poop feeds insects. Those insects feed birds. And those birds feed other animals.

    Should we really worry about a few dying bears? Or Fatu and Najin?

    Northern white rhinos are just one kind of rhino. The others are in danger too. But they’re still alive. And millions of other animal species are doing just fine.

    But different species need each other for survival. When one kind of plant or animal disappears, hundreds more may suffer.

    In Asia and Africa, rhinos clear paths as they move through bushes. They mow fields when they eat grass. Their poop feeds insects. Those insects feed birds. And those birds feed other animals.

    Do we really need to be concerned about a few dying bears—or about Fatu and Najin? 

    Northern white rhinos are just one kind of rhino. Other kinds are in danger too, but they’re still alive. And there are millions more animal species that are doing just fine.

    However, experts say that species depend on one another for survival. When one kind of plant or animal disappears, hundreds of others may suffer.

    In Asia and Africa, rhinos play an important role in helping other species survive. They clear paths as they rumble through bushes, and they mow fields when they eat grass. Their poop feeds insects, which feed birds, which feed other animals.

    At least one species of rhino is headed in the right direction. In 1905, there were only 75 Indian rhinos left alive. But the government in India—a country in Asia—recently took action. They moved rhinos into protected areas. Guards patrol the land and arrest illegal hunters. Today about 3,500 Indian rhinos live in the grasslands of India and Nepal.

    That won’t help Fatu and Najin. But at least it’s reason for hope. 

    At least one species of rhino is headed in the right direction. In 1905, there were only 75 Indian rhinos left alive, but the government in India—a country in Asia—recently took action. It relocated the rhinos to protected areas, where guards patrol the land and arrest illegal hunters. Today about 3,500 Indian rhinos live in the grasslands of India and Nepal.

    That won’t help Fatu and Najin. But at least it’s reason for hope.

    At least one species of rhino is headed in the right direction. In 1905, there were only 75 Indian rhinos left alive. But the government in India—a country in Asia—recently took action to help the animals. It relocated the rhinos to protected areas, where guards patrol the land and arrest illegal hunters. Today, there are approximately 3,500 Indian rhinos living in the grasslands of India and Nepal.

    That won’t help Fatu and Najin—but at least it’s reason for hope.