The number of rhinos is slightly up but poaching has increased too

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The rhino population across the world has increased slightly but so have the killings, mostly in South Africa, as poaching fed by huge demand for rhino horns remains a top threat, conservationists said in a new report.

The number of white rhinos increased from 15,942 in 2022 to 17,464 in 2023, but the black and greater one-horned rhino stayed the same, according to the report published by the International Rhino Foundation ahead of Sunday's World Rhino Day.

Another subspecies, the northern white rhino, is technically extinct with only two females being kept in a secure private conservancy in Kenya, known as Ol Pejeta. A trial is ongoing to develop embryos in the lab from an egg and sperm previously collected from white rhinos and transferring it into a surrogate female black rhino.

A total of 586 rhinos were killed in Africa in 2023, most of them in South Africa — which has the highest population of rhinos at an estimated 16,056. The killings increased from 551 reported in 2022, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

With all five subspecies combined, there are just under 28,000 rhinos left in the world, from 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.

Rhinos face various environmental threats like habitat loss due to development and climate change but poaching, based on the belief that their horns have medicinal uses, remains the top threat.

Philip Muruthi, the vice president for species conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation, said protection has played a big role in increasing rhino population. In Kenya, their numbers rose from 380 in 1986 to 1,000 last year, he said. "Why has that happened? Because the rhinos were brought into sanctuaries and were protected.”

Muruthi advocates for a campaign that will end the demand for rhino horn as well as adoption of new technology in tracking and monitoring rhinos for their protection while also educating communities where they live on the benefits of rhinos to the ecosystem and the economy.

Known as mega herbivores that mow the parks and create inroads for other herbivores, rhinos are also good for establishing forests by ingesting seeds and spreading them across the parks in their dung.

Murithi lamented that the northern white rhino — whose only two females are left in the world — should have never gotten so close to the brink of extinction.

"Don’t get the numbers to where it’s very expensive to recover and we are not even sure that it will happen,” he said.

The body of the last male northern white rhino – named Sudan – that died in 2018 has been preserved and displayed at the Museums of Kenya in Nairobi.

A research scientist and curator of mammals at the museum, Bernard Agwanda, said preserving Sudan will tell the story of how the species lived among humans and why conservation is important.

“So we expect that the northern white rhino behind us here is going to live for one or two centuries to be able to tell its story for generations to come,” he said.

Follow AP’s Africa coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Rhinos, on the Red List of Threatened Species according to IUCN (International Union Conservation Of Nature), are seen at Nairobi National Park, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A rhino and its calf, on the Red List of Threatened Species according to IUCN (International Union Conservation Of Nature), are seen at Nairobi National Park, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Philip Muruthi, Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF) Vice President, Species Conservation and Science, speaks during an interview with Associated Press in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Rhinos, on the Red List of Threatened Species according to IUCN (International Union Conservation Of Nature), are seen at Nairobi National Park, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

National Museums of Kenya research scientist Bernard Agwanda, inspects the taxidermy of last male northern white rhino, known as 'Sudan' at National Museums of Kenya, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A rhino and its calf, on the Red List of Threatened Species according to IUCN (International Union Conservation Of Nature), are seen at Nairobi National Park, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

FILE - A black rhino, on the Red List of Threatened Species according to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), eats grass at Nairobi National Park, on the outskirts of Nairobi, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Miami quarterback Cam Ward topped 15,000 yards passing in his career, making him the 13th player recognized by the NCAA to have reached that milestone.

Ward entered Saturday night's game against South Florida needing 89 yards to get there and went over on a 22-yard completion to Isaiah Horton in the first quarter of the eighth-ranked Hurricanes’ 50-15 victory.

The fifth-year senior joins Oregon's Dillon Gabriel as the only active college quarterbacks with more than 15,000 passing yards. Gabriel, whose career total entering Saturday was 15,779 in 53 games at three different schools, played parts of three seasons at UCF and then spent 2022 and 2023 at Oklahoma before moving on to Oregon.

Saturday’s game was the 48th of Ward’s career. He spent his first two collegiate season at FCS Incarnate Word (throwing for 6,908 yards there) and the last two years at Washington State (throwing for 6,968 yards there). He has 1,439 yards in Miami’s first four games this year, becoming the first to start his career at the school with four consecutive 300-yard passing games and pushing his total to 15,315.

Ward was 24 of 34 passing for 404 yards and three touchdowns against USF. He was intercepted once.

“He’s been great for a long time," said Miami receiver Isaiah Horton, who had a TD catch Saturday night. "As soon as he got on campus, he made his mark instantly. I love playing with him.”

In addition to Gabriel and Ward, the other quarterbacks officially recognized by the NCAA to have topped 15,000 yards passing are:

— Case Keenum, 19,217 yards at Houston from 2007-11. Keenum now plays for the Houston Texans and will miss this season because of injury.

— Timmy Chang, 17,072 yards at Hawaii from 2000-04. He's now the school’s head coach.

— Tyson Bagent: 17,034 yards at Division II’s Shepherd from 2018-22. He’s now the backup for the Chicago Bears.

— Landry Jones, 16,646 yards at Oklahoma from 2009-12. He made five starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015-17.

— Bo Cordell, 16,265 yards at Division II’s Tusculum from 2009-13, before going on to play for Montreal in the CFL.

— Graham Harrell, 15,793 yards at Texas Tech from 2005-08. He’s now offensive coordinator at Purdue.

— Sam Hartman, 15,656 yards at Wake Forest and Notre Dame from 2018-23. He is a rookie with the Washington Commanders.

— Austin Reed, 15,550 yards at Division II’s West Florida and then Western Kentucky from 2020-23. He’s now on the Bears’ practice squad.

— Bo Nix, 15,351 yards at Auburn and Oregon from 2019-23. He’s the starter for the Denver Broncos.

— John Matocha, 15,102 yards at Division II’s Colorado School of Mines from 2019-23. He was in camp this year with Toronto of the CFL.

— Ty Detmer, 15,031 yards at BYU from 1988-91. He played 14 NFL seasons.

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Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) is shoved out of bounds by South Florida linebacker Mac Harris (24) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws a pass against South Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) scrambles away from South Florida linebacker Jamie Pettway during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)