There are 2 distinct species of white rhino – southern and northern. Northern white rhinos are now considered functionally extinct in the wild due to poaching. Only two females remain and are considered non-reproductive. They live in a sanctuary in Kenya, and are guarded 24 hours a day by armed rangers.

The name white rhino has nothing to do with the actual color of the animal. Most rhinos are a grey/brown in coloration with the exception of the Sumatran rhino which are a reddish brown. White is taken from the Afrikaans word “Wyd” which was misinterpreted by the English settlers as “white”.

White rhino lips are powerful and broad that enable them to crop grass closely. Because of these wide lips white rhinos are strictly a grazing rhino. Their diet consists of grasses found on the savannas and grasslands of Africa.

Another unique feature of rhinos is their feet! Rhinos are considered toe-walkers and are in the Order Perissodactyla or odd toed ungulates. If you looked at a rhino’s skeleton, their body ends on three toes. The pad on the bottom of the rhino’s foot acts like a shock absorber that allows for equally distribution of their large weight.

Rhinos can also MOVE IT! Don’t let their large size fool you! A rhino can get up to speeds of 30 miles per hour and maintain that speed over a mile. They are very nimble and quick on those feet as well – spinning and turning on a dime.

Most things about a white rhino are supersized, except for their vision. Due to poor eyesight rhino are often labeled as mean and cantankerous animals. Objects farther than 100 yards, a rhino often sees them as blur. If they hear or smell a threat, rhinos will often charge first and ask questions later. 

Rhinos are considered pachyderms, which means “thick skinned” animal. Elephants, rhinos, hippos and tapirs are all pachyderms. A rhinos skin can be anywhere from an inch to inch and a half thick on most areas of their body. Rhinos can’t sweat to cool their bodies, so mud is incredibly important to keep them cool, bug free and acts as a natural sunscreen.

A rhino’s horn is the most special feature of this animal! It’s what makes a rhino a rhino! It’s is not bone, but modified keratin the same basis as our hair and nails. It will continually grow throughout the rhino’s lifetime. Of 5 species of rhino, only two species the Greater One Horned rhino and Javan only have one horn while White, Black and Sumatran have 2 horns. A baby rhino is born with a tiny little bump that will start to grow into horn around 3-4 months of age.

It takes a long time for a rhinos to mature. Males typically are sexually mature between 7-8 years old, and females between 5 to 7 years. Rhino gestation is a long 16 months and calves will stay with their mother for 2 -3 years. Calves are born between 12- -140 lbs. and will gain 2 to 3 lbs. per day on their mother’s milk.