Black Rhinoceros
Watch our black rhino introduction videos and photos

Corky and Satsuki

Scientific name: Diceros bicornis
Family: RHINOCEROTIDAE
Order: PERISSODACTYLA
Class: MAMMALIA

SWAHILI NAME:Kifaru

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

A black rhino is actually gray, not black. It was named after the Black Umfolozi River, the area in which it was discovered, by William Burchell.  Smaller than a white rhino, it stands from four feet nine inches to five and a half feet at the shoulder; it weighs as much as 1.75 tons. Its upper lip is pointed and has a prehensile tip.  Today is it also known as the Hook-lip rhino.

Both males and females have a set of horns, the front one being longer and averaging about 20 inches, but growing as long as 53 inches. The large bump on its head in front of the skull helps anchor the horn to the head.

A black rhino has poor eyesight, but it is keen of hearing and smell (reportedly better than a bloodhound).

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT:

It prefers brush and scattered open woodlands, and frequents mud wallows. The range of the black rhinoceros is limited to areas of eastern and southern Africa. Most of them are found in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya and Namibia.  Read about the fight to save Africa's rhinos.

BEHAVIOR:

Corky

It tends to be a solitary animal, although groups of two or three are not rare. The male especially, is territorial, and defends his turf vigorously against rivals. Its reputation for being bad-tempered is probably exaggerated, but it is an unsociable and aggressive animal.

Probably due to its poor eyesight, it tends to charge aimlessly and unpredictably, and may hit trees or automobiles. Despite a charging speed of 35 mph, a black rhino can stop and change directions very quickly.

Tick birds feed on the rhino's external parasites. This association is an example of mutualism because both species benefit. The tick birds get food in the form of insects, while the rhinos are warned of potentially dangerous intruders by the birds' alarm calls.

DIET:

It uses its hooked upper lip for stripping leaves and twigs from the bushes and shrubs on which it browses. A browser, it prefers not to eat grass. It usually feeds at night and in early morning, and needs to drink at least once a day.

REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:

It has no particular breeding season. A single young is born after a gestation period of about 15 months. The calf stays with its mother for as long as two years, often remaining with her after the birth of the subsequent calf.

Sexual maturity is reached at about five years. Black rhinos live 40-50 years.

NOTE:
The black rhino is highly endangered because of over hunting and loss of proper habitat. Its numbers have been reduced by 90% since 1970, down from 65,000 to about 2,500. Poachers kill them for the horns which are used in Asia as medicine, and in Yemen for dagger handles. Africans do not attribute any magical or superhuman qualities to rhino products.

There are only 150 black rhinos in zoos worldwide.

Web Links:

International Rhino Foundation

ICUN Species Info, http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=6557 .