About Rhinoceroses
Rhinoceroses are large mammals that have excellent hearing and sense of smell. Their eyesight is not as strong, and they get startled easily. When they get startled, they charge at whatever scared them. When it is hot, rhinos find water holes and roll around in the mud. The mud protects them from the sun and insects. Rhinos also let oxpeckers, a kind of bird, live on their backs. The oxpeckers eat the insects that live on rhinoceroses' skin.
There are only 5 types of rhinoceroses left in the world. Two species, the Black Rhino and the White Rhino, live in Africa. Black and White Rhinos are the same color (gray) but have different lip shapes. Black Rhinos have pointed upper lips because they need to pick leaves and fruit to eat. White Rhinos have square lips because they eat grass. Black Rhinos are usually about 4 1/2 to 6 feet tall and weigh between 1760 and 3080 pounds. They live by themselves, except for mothers and their children. Baby rhinos stay with their mothers until they are 3 years old. White Rhinos are much bigger than black rhinos. They are usually 11 to 13 feet tall and weigh 3200 to 8000 pounds. They live in groups of up to 12 rhinos, typically female rhinos and their children. You can find Black and White Rhinos in Namibia, a country in the southwest of Africa where the Ducky Friends series takes place.
There are only 5 types of rhinoceroses left in the world. Two species, the Black Rhino and the White Rhino, live in Africa. Black and White Rhinos are the same color (gray) but have different lip shapes. Black Rhinos have pointed upper lips because they need to pick leaves and fruit to eat. White Rhinos have square lips because they eat grass. Black Rhinos are usually about 4 1/2 to 6 feet tall and weigh between 1760 and 3080 pounds. They live by themselves, except for mothers and their children. Baby rhinos stay with their mothers until they are 3 years old. White Rhinos are much bigger than black rhinos. They are usually 11 to 13 feet tall and weigh 3200 to 8000 pounds. They live in groups of up to 12 rhinos, typically female rhinos and their children. You can find Black and White Rhinos in Namibia, a country in the southwest of Africa where the Ducky Friends series takes place.
Conservation
In the 1900's, most rhinos were Black Rhinos. There were about 850,000 Black Rhinos, but because of hunting and the clearing of land for people and farming, only 100,000 were left by 1960.
Poachers illegally hunted rhinos for their horns, which people want for decoration and because they believe that horns can be used to make medicine, which science proved is not true. Between 1960 and 1995, poaching caused the world to lose 98% of its Black Rhinos, making them Critically Endangered. The only 2 countries to have growing numbers of Black Rhinos during that time were Namibia and South Africa. Even with their efforts to protect rhinos, 1,028 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2017.
Javan and Sumatran Rhinos are also Critically Endangered because of poaching. Only 67 Javan Rhinos are left in the world. They live in Indonesia. Several countries and organizations, including Save the Rhino and the International Rhino Foundation, are working to protect rhinos by guarding them from poachers and encouraging people to stop buying products made from their horns.
For more information about rhinos and their conservation, you can go to www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals, www.natgeokids.com/za/discover/animals, www.iucnredlist.org, www.savetherhino.org, and rhinos.org
Poachers illegally hunted rhinos for their horns, which people want for decoration and because they believe that horns can be used to make medicine, which science proved is not true. Between 1960 and 1995, poaching caused the world to lose 98% of its Black Rhinos, making them Critically Endangered. The only 2 countries to have growing numbers of Black Rhinos during that time were Namibia and South Africa. Even with their efforts to protect rhinos, 1,028 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2017.
Javan and Sumatran Rhinos are also Critically Endangered because of poaching. Only 67 Javan Rhinos are left in the world. They live in Indonesia. Several countries and organizations, including Save the Rhino and the International Rhino Foundation, are working to protect rhinos by guarding them from poachers and encouraging people to stop buying products made from their horns.
For more information about rhinos and their conservation, you can go to www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals, www.natgeokids.com/za/discover/animals, www.iucnredlist.org, www.savetherhino.org, and rhinos.org