Did you know that a group of rhinos is called a ‘crash’? A good collective noun for a creature only second to the elephant in size and weight. At 5.9 feet and 2,500 kg the white Rhino tops the list of heavy-weights in the animal world.
In all there are 5 distinct species of rhino, of which the white rhino, which is found in Africa, is the largest and heaviest. The white rhino’s name comes from a misrepresentation of the Afrikaans word ‘wijd’ which means ‘wide’ (and not ‘white’) and refers to the animal’s mouth.
White rhinos, also known as the square-lipped rhino, sport square, hairless upper lips.
The white rhino has two genetically different subspecies – the northern white rhino and the southern white rhino. Sadly, due to the immense rate of poaching of this species, as of March 2018, there are only two northern white rhinos left in the world, both of which are female. They live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and are protected by armed guards day and night. Their near extinction is due to many years of brutal poaching for rhino horn for use in traditional medicine and as a status symbol in countries like Vietnam and China.
This rarest of rare animal is found in grassland and savannah habitat. They eat grass and drink twice a day when water is available. However, the rhino can live for 4 or 5 days without water if necessary. Rhinos love squelching about in mud holes. This keeps their bodies cool in the brutal African heat and also keeps pests and bugs at bay. The white rhinoceros is considered a keystone species in the savanna grasslands. It is listed as ‘Critically Endangered possibly extinct in the Wild’ in the IUCN Red List.
Picture Credit : Google
