Fun Facts about Rhinos

If you want to learn more about Rhinos, read on!

Did you know?

The name Rhino is the short form of ‘Rhinoceros, which means ‘Nose Horn’
There are five different species of rhinoceros, three native to southern Asia and two native to Africa. They are the Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros and Sumatran Rhinoceros.
The only land animal bigger than a White Rhino, is an Elephant.
Rhino Horn is made from Keratin, just like your fingernails and hair. Their horns are what they get killed for (poached). And it doesn’t make any sense!
Crash is the term for a group of Rhinos, like this below:

A Crash (Family) of Rhinos

Although they have thick protective skin, it is still sensitive. Rhinos take mud baths to serve as sunscreen and protect them against parasites. Rhino skin can be up to 5cm in thickness!
They can run very fast, much faster than a human when they get scared or angry, and you don’t want to be in the path of one!
Both Black Rhinos and White Rhinos are actually grey in colour. ‘White’ actually stemmed from the word ‘wide’, meaning flat and wide. They’re sometimes called ‘square-lipped’ Rhinos. White Rhinos eat grass and they are called grazers. Black Rhinos have a hooked lip enabling them to catch onto shrubs and eat the juicy leaves. They are called browzers.
Rhinos communicate through noises and poo! Baby Rhinos sound like whales when they ask for milk. Rhinos sniff their toilets called ‘middens’ to gather information about who was there. Click the Video below to watch Rhino Babies asking for Milk!

White Rhinos are much more passive and gentle than Black Rhinos. Black Rhinos are so dangerous that they are the cause for Rhinos being included in the Big 5. (The five big, dangerous African Animals).
Rhinos are the oldest group of mammals, and have been around for 10 to 20 million years. They are living fossils!
Rhino Moms are pregnant for 15 to 16 months before giving birth. At two months old, Rhino Babies start to get weaned off milk. At three years old, Rhino Babies are fully independent. They live to between 10 and 45 years, depending on the species. A newborn Rhino should be up and walking within one hour after birth, but will remain wobbly for a few days
The average birth weight in Black Rhinos is 35.5 kg and 62.7 kg in White Rhinos.
White Rhino Mum with newborn Rhino Baby
Rhino babies eat their mother’s dung to acquire critical bacteria for their digestive systems to work properly.
Rhino Mommies and Babies are very close. In the case of Orphaned Rhino Babies, where the mothers had been killed, the little ones often die from stomach and mouth ulcers as a result of stress.
The Baby of a Black Rhino walks behind the Mom, and the Baby of White Rhino, in front of the Mom.
Their Magnificent horns are not only for show, they use them to defend themselves, to steer their babies, to dig up roots for nutrient and to test the depth of mud-holes before they wallow. If the hole is too deep they might get stuck and die.
To learn more about the extent of Poaching of Rhinos in the Kruger National Park, click here.
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