White Rhino

DESCRIPTION: This is the worlds second largest land mammal by mass.  Weighing up to three tonnes, only the African elephant is larger.

This animal is a docile and peaceful grazer of the African savannah.  Unfortunately, because of human intervention and the belief in many countries of the East that rhino horn has magical properties, the horn commands an extremely high price.  This has led to rhino populations throughout the world being decimated in this century.

STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION: There are 5 distinct species, the Asian: one horned (around 2400), the Black: (around 3100), the White: (around 11670), the Sumatran: (around 300) and the Javan: (around 60 animals left).  The numbers given are recent estimates.

They are so vulnerable to mans weapons, there was possibly only 30 White rhinos left at the end of the last century. The word ‘white’ is derived from the Afrikaans word for wide, and relates to its wide mouth, not its colour.  This mouth acts as a giant lawnmower taking up vast quantities of grass.

The horns of rhino are unusual in that they lie along the middle of the snout and do not have a bony centre. They are made of many fibres of the same chemical that makes hair and nails. Sadly the Far Eastern cultures prize rhino horn for its so-called medicinal properties. Even though it is only the same as finger nails. In parts of Arabia the horns are used as a status symbol and made into dagger handles. To get the horns the animals are killed.

LIFE HISTORY: Rhinos rely mostly on their sense of smell and they have rather poor vision. Their hearing is good. Rhinos make many sounds, from roars and squeals to bleats, they sound too gentle for such massive animals.

Here at South Lakes we have four Wide Lipped Rhinos. Two males - Mazungo, born at Whipsnade and Hubbke, born at Safari Beekse Bergen. They were joined by Tala and Ntombi on the 28th September 2003, who arrived from a reserve in South Africa. Planned breeding should take place in 2004/5.