Rhino

Rhinoceros unicornis

The largest free-roaming mammal, the Rhinoceros, is considered the “landscape architect” of their habitat. Rhinos consume various plants and then disperse the seeds throughout the range. Their dung also enhances soil fertility and nourishes the land. An adult Rhino can weigh around a ton and has a protective skin reaching 1.5 centimeters thick. A rhino also has acute hearing and sense of smell. The average lifespan is about 50 years. Ranked as one of the most critically endangered animals in the world, poachers continue to pursue the animal’s unique horn. The horn is made of keratin and does not have a core bone center. The Rhino’s population has fallen by 90% in the past 30 years; only 5 species remain today.

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Map Key:

1. Congo

2. Virunga

3. Samburu

4. Kilimanjaro

5. Maasai Steppe

6. Zambezi

7. Kazunqula

8. Limpopo

The regions listed are where AWF can be found working to save the Rhino.

To prevent poaching in certain areas, rhinos have been tranquilized and then their horn removed. A repeated fallacy is that the rhino’s horn, in a powered form, is used as an aphrodisiac in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In fact, it is used for life-threatening fevers and convulsions. In Africa, only the black Rhino and the white Rhino still exist. Both African varieties have 2 horns in tandem while the Asian types have a single horn. The main difference between the black rhino and the white rhino is the shape of their lips; the white having broad, flat lips for grazing and the black having long, pointed lips for eating foliage. The name “white” was actually a mistake for the word wide (wijd) because of their square lips. The AWF recognized that the only way to ensure their survival was to secure them in protected areas, sanctuaries, allowing them to still run freely. One such thriving sanctuary in Tsavo is the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary.

There is a legend that says a rhino will stamp out a fire. The animal would come running when a fire is lit in the forest and stamp it out. This was featured in the movies “The Gods Must Be Crazy” and on the “Simpsons”. There is no proof to this legend.

Fact or Fiction??

YOU can Adopt your own Rhino !