The Black Rhinoceros

In preparation for my Tanzania adventure, I have been researching the history and culture of the region. One of my greatest curiosities in this continent is the the amount of incredible animals of which, in the United States, we are unfortunately only able to observe in captivity. I wanted to start with some of the more popular species in the African culture. I previously posted on the lion, and next on Africa’s Big 5 list is the Black Rhino.

One of the most notable traits of the Black Rhino are the two (occasionally three) keratin horns and the front of its skull. The largest known horn ever recorded was five feet long. That’s as tall as I am! They also have horrible eyesight, leaving them to rely on their sense of smell and hearing. In fact, they have large ears that rotate like satellite dishes to detect any possible threats.

Black Rhinos have a reputation for being EXTREMELY aggressive. Yet they only attack out of fear, panic and confusion. With their poor eyesight and highly excitable nature, they have been observed to charge tree trunks and termite mounds. Oddly enough, they aren’t aggressive toward others in their species and rely more on bluffing their threats when the occasion arises.

There was a time when the Black Rhino was the most numerous of all the rhino species, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Sadly, they have been nearly pushed to extinction due to poaching and loss of habitat. The horns of the poached animals are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and are said to have the ability to revive comatose patients and cure fevers. These effects have not been confirmed by medical science.

There are now about 3,600 Black Rhinos existing in the world today.