The West African black rhino is now feared extinct and numbers of the northern white rhino have reached an all time low in the wild. In both cases, poaching for rhino horn is the main cause of their demise.

This is according to new estimates announced by the African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. An intensive survey earlier this year of the West African black rhino has failed to locate any sign of their continued presence in their last refuges in northern Cameroon.

“As a result this subspecies has been tentatively declared as extinct,” says Dr Martin Brooks , AfRSG chairman .

“Also the northern white rhino is on the very brink of being lost. Restricted in the wild to Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo , recent ground and aerial surveys conducted under the direction of African Parks Foundation and the AfRSG have only found four animals.

"Efforts to locate further animals continue, but we must now face the possibility that the subspecies may not recover to a viable level,” he continued.

On a more positive note, continental black rhino numbers have increased to 3,725 as a whole, a rise of 3.2% over the last two years: this from an all time low of 2,410 in 1995. The ultimate conservation success story continues for the other white rhino subspecies, the southern white. Down to less than 50 animals a hundred or so years ago, numbers have increased to 14,540.

Photo Details: Blackheaded Heron (Ardea melanocephala) winging its way upwards towards its nest, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Camera: Canon EOS 350D; Lens: Canon 100-400 IS Zoom; Focal Length: 400mm; Manual exposure; Shutter speed: 1/500; Aperture: f5.6; ISO: 400

Additional Info: There's a small lake - or dam - in Pietermaritzburg, the city in which I live, that's frequented by a variety of duck and wading birds. Originally known as the "bird sanctuary", it's now built-up and surrounded by new buildings, but fortunately the birds have not been scared away by the recent development and hundreds still nest in the adjacent trees.

I'm not an accomplished bird photographer and have very little experience capturing birds in flight, so the above shot is one of my first attempts.

Photo Details: Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus), close-up, Weenen Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel; Lens: Canon 100-400 IS Zoom; Focal Length: 400mm; Shutter speed: 1/500; Aperture: f7.1; ISO: 200

Additional Info: We were in a hide overlooking a small waterhole in Weenen Nature Reserve when a group of terrapins, obviously aware of our presence, made their way to the water's muddy edge. They were either just curious or, more likely, had learnt that when the hide was occupied, there was a chance of food being offered.

Photo Details: Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) close-up, showing the corkscrew-shaped horns that are such a distinguishing feature of this large, handsome antelope. Location: Weenen Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel; Lens: Canon 100-400 IS Zoom; Focal Length: 275mm; Shutter speed: 1/250; Aperture: f5.6; ISO: 400

Additional Info: The kudu, with a shoulder height of 1.4 m, is the tallest antelope after the eland, and has the longest horns, averaging 120 cm (although they can grow up to 180 cm).