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Nature

Northern White Rhino

What is northern white rhino?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Scientific name Ceratotherium simum cottoni[2]
Conservation status Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild)[3]
Known remaining individuals Two females[1]
Location of remaining individuals Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya[1]
Last male death date 19 March 2018[1]

The northern white rhino is a subspecies of the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) that is critically endangered, with only two known females remaining, both in Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Context

The northern white rhino is a subspecies of the white rhinoceros, scientifically named Ceratotherium simum cottoni [2]. It is listed as critically endangered, with the IUCN wording 'Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild)' [3]. Only two females are known to remain, both at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya [1]. The last male died on 19 March 2018 [1]. The subspecies is considered functionally extinct because no breeding population remains [1]. Its historical range included southern Chad, Central African Republic, southwestern Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and northwestern Uganda [4]. Population decline is linked to poaching and civil wars [4].

Documented claims

  • The northern white rhino is functionally extinct because no breeding population remains and only two females are alive. [1]
  • The subspecies is sometimes described as extinct in the wild. [1]
  • The two surviving animals are under constant protection from poachers in Kenya. [1]

Questions and answers

How many northern white rhinos are left?

Only two northern white rhinos are left, both female, living at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya [1].

Are northern white rhinos extinct in 2026?

As of the latest information, they are not entirely extinct but are functionally extinct, with only two females remaining [1]. Some sources describe them as extinct in the wild [1].

What killed northern white rhinos?

Poaching and civil wars in their historical range led to their decline [4].

Sources

  1. Northern white rhino: Facts about the world's rarest rhino — fauna-flora.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Northern white rhinos – where are we at? | Save the Rhino — savetherhino.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. White Rhinoceros — nationalgeographic.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. White rhinos: facts, threats, and conservation — ifaw.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Nature