WHITE RHINOCEROS
HABITAT/LOCATION: The White rhinoceros is located throughout southern and central Africa. They spend
the majority of their time in long and short grass savannah foraging for food.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
 Second largest land mammal after the elephant.
 Neutral grey in colour and almost hairless.
 It has two horns.
 White rhinoceros are quite peaceful and social animals.
 A group of rhino is called a “Crash”.
 Short-sighted but has an acute sense of smell and hearing.
 Their name is derived from the Afrikaans word “widje” meaning “wide” and refers to their wide upper
lip.
 The horn consists of bony material similar to the cartilage of the human nose.
 Unlike Black rhinos, they are gregarious and can be found in small crashes.
WHAT THEY EAT: Grass and other low growing plants form the bulk of their diet but they also use their
horns for digging up bulbs and roots to eat. At African Lion Safari they eat grass and are fed hay and a cubed
food formulated specifically for them.
SIZE AND WEIGHT: The adult white rhinoceros can weigh between 1,000 to 3,600 kilograms and stand
between 1.5 to 2 metres tall. The bigger horn is 94 to 201 centimetres in length.
REASONS FOR ENDANGERED STATUS: White rhinoceros have two horns that they use for fighting and
for protection from predators. Their horns are not attached to their skull. They actually grow from their skin
and are made of Keratin fibre, which is the same material hair and nails are made of. Rhinoceros horn is very
valuable for its use in traditional medicines and as decorative items. As a result, rhinoceros have been hunted
extensively and all five species are under pressure from poaching for their horns as well as habitat loss.
WHERE TO SEE THEM WHILE “ON SAFARI”: The White rhinoceros can be seen in the 5th Game
Reserve.
AFRICAN LION SAFARI’S ACHIEVEMENTS: African Lion Safari employs a philosophy of working
closely with all its birds and animals. Consequently, staff have developed a relationship with the herd at the
park that enables them to monitor hormone levels in the rhino’s blood and feces on a regular basis. Staff are
able to perform weekly ultrasound examinations of the rhinoceros’ reproductive cycles and establish the
optimum strategy for breeding. African Lion Safari is involved in this ongoing research program in partnership
with the Institute for Zoo Biology and Wildlife Research of Berlin. The main goal of this project is to increase
the knowledge of rhinoceros reproductive physiology and social structure. Our hope is to develop a successful
breeding programme for this endangered species at African Lion Safari.