White Rhinoceros

The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exists and is one of the few megafauna species left. A mature white rhino weighs about 4000-6000 lbs. It is native to north-eastern and southern Africa. The rhinos tend to group in herds of one to seven animals, though they are solitary animals. On its snout it has two horns made of keratin fibers (not bone, as in deer antlers).

The White Rhinoceros also has a noticeable hump on the back of its neck which supports its large head. Each of the rhino's four feet has three toes. It is capable of going four or five days without water.

There are two subspecies of White Rhinos; as of 2005, South Africa has a Southern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum ssp. simum) population of about 11,000, making them the most abundant subspecies of rhino in the world. Southern whites will readily breed in captivity given appropriate amounts of space and food, as well as the presence of other female rhinos of breeding age. For instance, the San Diego Wild Animal Park has had ninety calves born since 1972.

There are also two White Rhinos in Livingstone, Zambia (in the Mosi-o-tunia zoological park).

The Northern White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum ssp. cottoni), formerly found in several countries in East and Central Africa, is considered Critically Endangered. They are believed to exist in only three places:

Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where some four animals are believed to remain ^*;
Zoo Dvur Králové in the Czech Republic, which has six rhinos; and
San Diego Wild Animal Park, where three are located.

Northern whites have rarely reproduced in captivity; since 1995, only one female calf has been born, at Dvur Kralove.

Name

The name White Rhino originated in South Africa where the Afrikaans language developed from the Dutch language. The Afrikaans word "weit" (derived from the Dutch word "wijd"), which means "wide", referred to the width of the Rhinoceros mouth. Early English settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the "weit" for "white". So the rhino with the wide mouth ended up being called the White Rhino and the other one, with the narrow pointed mouth, was called the Black Rhinoceros. The wide mouth was adapted to cropping large swaths of grass, while the narrow mouth was adapted to eating leaves on bushes. A White Rhino's skin color is quite similar to that of the Black Rhino. An alternative common name for the white rhinoceros, more accurate but rarely used, is the square-lipped rhinoceros. The White Rhinoceros' genus, Ceratotherium, appropriately means "horned beast".

Poaching

Like the Black Rhino, the White Rhino is under threat from habitat loss and poaching, most recently by an offshoot of the janjaweed. A recent population count in the Congo turned up only 10 rhinos left in the wild, which led conservationists in January 2005 to propose airlifting White Rhinos from Garamba into Kenya. Although official approval was initially obtained, resentment of foreign interference within the Congo has prevented the airlift from happening as of the beginning of 2006.

References

Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened

External links

White Rhino entry on International Rhino Foundation website.
White Rhino entry on WWF website.
White Rhinoceros entry on IUCN Red List.
Honolulu Zoo
San Diego Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo

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Name

Poaching

References

External links