BLACK RHINOCEROS



How to Recognize
It’s rare to see a black or white rhino as they are Africa’s most endangered large animal. In the 1970's there were 40,000 black rhinos, now there is barely 400. White rhinos are virtually extinct in East Africa but in southern Africa around 6,000 exist.

Rhinos are poached for their horn which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and for dagger handles by Yemeni tribesmen. These horns are made out of solid keratin, the substance that makes up human toenails and horses’ hooves. A rhino normally has two horns but occasionally three or even four can grow.

Black rhinos are huge (males weigh up to 3,000 pounds) with thick hides, short legs, and massive horned heads. The black rhino has an upper hooked lip (almost beak-like) and when seen, it holds its small head up high. The white rhino has a distinctive wide mouth (wide meaning weit [“white”] in Dutch) and when seen, its large head is usually lowered.

Habitat
They can be found mainly in savannas with thickets and abundant shrubs. They are also found in semiarid thorn scrub, forest, and altitudes up to 12,000 feet.

Behavior
Mainly diurnal. Black rhinos are solitary and territorial, only socializing during the mating season. However, females are relatively tolerant of each other, and females with young sometimes associate with others in their home range.

Males mark their territories with dung piles and urine sprays. Because of their bad eyesight, the black rhino is unpredictable and prone to charging when alarmed. However, it has keen hearing and sense of smell.

Breeding
One calf is born at a time, usually during the rainy season. After a 15-16 month gestation, the mother tends to her young for two to three years. She'll then give birth again.

Feeding
Black rhinos are browsers, using their pointed lip to selectively feed on branches, foliage, and leaves by plucking them. They use their horns to break branches and loosen soil. The white rhino uses its wide mouth to graze. They both seek daily access to water.

Enemies
Lions and humans.


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Copyright © 2002, Dawn M. Dalton.
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