2 species of rhinoceros are found in Africa.
BLACK RHINOCEROS
In other languages:
Afrikaans: swartrenoster
Shona: chipenbere, nhema
Zulu: uBhejane
Facts:
The black rhino has a shoulder height of 1.6 mt and can weigh up to 900-1000 kg.
Gestation: 15-16 months after which they give birth to a single calf.
Speed: they can reach speeds up to 45 km/h, the black rhino, also known as the hook-lipped rhino, is agile and can at times display considerable aggression when alarmed.
Due to poor vision the black rhino is equipped with exceptional hearing and a good sense of smell. This species tends to be shy and love a solitary life. As browsers, they mainly feed on shrubs, twigs and leaves and are therefore found in thickets and bush country.
WHITE RHINOCEROS
In other languages:
Afrikaans: witrenoster
Shona: chipembere
Zulu: uMkhombe
Facts:
The white rhino has a shoulder height of 1.8 mt and can weigh up to 200 kg.
Gestation: 18 months after which they give birth to a single calf at intervals of 3 years.
Speed: they can run at a top speed of 40 km/h.
Also referred to as the square lipped rhino, the white rhino tends to be more placid that the black rhino. Like the black rhino, the white rhino has poor eyesight but both hearing and smell are acute.
Often found in small family groups.
As grazers, their diet predominately consists of grass.
Did you know? The horns are made up of closely compacted hair and keratin (fingernail material).
Outside of Africa the following 3 species of rhino exist: The Indian Rhino, Java Rhino and Sumatran Rhino
In just 30 years 97% of the world’s rhino population has been wiped out. A combination of poaching and habitat loss has reduced the total world rhino population from 500,000 to less than 13,000. Even today rhinos are hunted down and killed for their horns. This must stop. In support of various conservation projects, Greenfields aims to raise awareness. More information:
There has been a marked increase in the illegal trade of rhinoceros horn and poaching of mainly White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum in recent years. In the 24 years between 1980 and 2004, 148 rhinos were poached in South Africa, which increased to 126 between 2005 and 2008, and a further increase in 2009, when 122 rhinos were poached. The Endangered Wildlife Trust's "EWT Rhino Security Project" is addressing the problem by improving the security of rhino on privately owned land and supporting law enforcement and poaching investigations. For more information, contact Faan Coetzee (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) or visit www.ewt.org.za. Join the EWT's 'Dare to Care' campaign for Southern Africa's threatened wildlife and become part of the solution to preserving our heritage. | | 
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