Huge, huge rhino

Mar 10, 2006

The rhinoceros or rhino is a large , heavy animal with thick skin. There are five species of rhinos — two African and three Asian.

The rhinoceros or rhino is a large , heavy animal with thick skin. There are five species of rhinos — two African and three Asian. The African species are the white and black rhinos. Both species have two horns. Asian rhinos include the Indian and the Javan, each with one horn, and the Sumatran, which has two.

The white rhino is the second largest land mammal next to the elephant. The five species range in weight from 340 kilogrammes to 3,630 kilogrammes and stand anywhere from four and a half to six feet tall. POPULATION: Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis): 2,400 White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum): 7,500 Sumatran Rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis): 400 Javan Rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus): fewer than 100 Indian Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis): more than 2,000 Biologists estimate that wild rhinos live up to 35 years. If it is in captivity, a rhino may live 40 years.

Rhinos are found in parts of Africa and Asia. Their habitat (home) ranges from savannas to dense forests in tropical and subtropical regions.

Rhinos are herbivores. This means that they eat only plants. White rhinos, with their square-shaped lips, are ideally suited to graze on grass. Other rhinos prefer to eat the foliage of trees or bushes.

As solitary creatures, both male and female rhinos create territories. Males mark and defend their territories. Rhinos use their horns not only in battles for territory or females but also to defend themselves from lions, tigers and hyenas.

Males and females frequently fight during courtship, sometimes leading to serious wounds inflicted by their horns. After mating, the pair go their separate ways. A calf is born 14 to 18 months later. Although they nurse for a year, calves are able to begin eating vegetation one week after birth.

Rhinos rank among the most endangered species on Earth. Valued for their horns, they face a serious threat from poaching. People go after rhinos for all kinds of reasons. In some cultures, they believe that the powdered rhino horn will cure everything from fever to food poisoning.

In Uganda, you can see the rhinos at the Uganda Wild Life Centre (former Entebbe Zoo). There are two huge white rhinos there. Ask your parents to take you to visit the centre so you can see so many wild animals.
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