Organism
Northern White Rhino
TL;DR
Reduced to <50 individuals by poaching (1970s-1990s), then to <10 (2000s), now only 2 females remain (as of 2023, functionally extinct - no males).
Exemplifies the small-population vortex. Reduced to <50 individuals by poaching (1970s-1990s), then to <10 (2000s), now only 2 females remain (as of 2023, functionally extinct - no males). Conservation efforts (anti-poaching, captive breeding) couldn't reverse the vortex because genetic diversity was lost, reproductive rates were too low, and Allee effects prevented population recovery.
Notable Traits of Northern White Rhino
- Functionally extinct
- Only 2 females remaining
- Conservation failure despite efforts