Since its inception, social media has been inundated with no shortage of “cute” animal videos, but this week, photos made the rounds on X—the social media platform formerly known as Twitter—of armed guards protecting one of the world’s two remaining northern white rhinos.
According to the posts on X, the two rhinos—both female—need the round-the-clock protection as the species has been driven to near extinction by poachers. Sadly, as the only male died of old age in 2018, the subspecies of the white rhinoceros is already functionally extinct.
“One of the two remaining northern white rhinos in the world, guarded 24 hours a day,” captioned the tweet from Historic Videos (@historyinmemes) on Tuesday.
The animals had formerly been found in several countries in East and Central Africa south of the Sahara. Poachers reduced the population of the majestic beast from 500 to just 15 in the 1970s and 1980s, and while the population recovered to more than 32 animals, poaching intensified and reduced the wild population. All of the northern white rhinos living in zoos around the world have since perished, as attempts to breed the animals in captivity failed.
The remaining two northern white rhinos—named Najin and Fatu—officially belong to the the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic but live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
A photo of one of those rhinos has been seen more than 20 million times since it was posted on Tuesday morning. While it wasn’t actually tied to any news about the animals, there could be hope that such posts on social media could highlight the plight of endangered species and the efforts that are now underway to save these animals.
“It’s easy to wag a finger at social media—and social media needs fingers wagged at it—but there are some situations that, as newsroom staffs shrink around the world, the rest of us might not know about without our fellows posting about it,” explained Susan Campbell, distinguished lecturer in the Department of Communication, Film, and Media Studies at the University of New Haven.
Social media today may actually have a reach beyond that of any newspaper, cable news network or even news-focused website.
“That’s not to say all the information about such circumstances—including the recent sad story of the two white rhinos—is accurate, but these posts can at least put an issue in front of us, maybe make us think, and maybe move us to action,” added Campbell.
Though this post can’t save the northern white rhinos, the fact that this topic trended is a reminder that social media can’t be ignored for its ability to spread the news on such topics.
“Social media can be critical to building support for most things but it has been particularly successful for efforts to find, protect, or respond to threats against animals,” said technology industry analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.
He added that platforms like X have an advantage over traditional media.
“If presented well, social media influencers will spread the word and help attract donations as well as volunteers when needed,” Enderle continued. “For something as critical as protecting the last while Rhino, it alone may not be enough, but it can provide a level of support that few other media types can do as well or as cheaply.”