The rhinoceros is our world’s armored giant, like a tank on legs.
And these animals have been on our planet for millions of years.
To celebrate this incredible animal here are 10 facts that everyone should
know about them.
Fact 1
There are five species of rhino: the African white
rhino and African black rhino,
and in Asia, there's the greater one-horned rhino, the Sumatran rhino, and the Javan rhino.
There are thought to be around seventy
Javan rhinos left in the wild.
Meaning that their populations are seriously under threat of extinction.
Fact 2
They’re heavy! Even though they're the smallest, some Sumatran rhinos can still weigh up to 600 kilograms
and at the other end of the scale, the heaviest Rhino is the African white
which can weigh up to 3,500 kilograms.
That's about the weight of two small cars
Fact three
Both black and white rhinos
are in fact grey, with both species being the same color,
their main difference is in their lips.
White rhinos are said to have got their name from the Afrikaans word
for wide, referring to their wide square lip. In contrast to this
black rhinos have a pointy upper lip
Fact 4
Male rhinos are known as bulls and female rhinos are known as cows.
Their young are called calves. Female rhinos tend to be more sociable than the solitary males
and a group of rhinos is known as a crash
Fact 5
Rhino horn is made of the same stuff as our own fingernails.
Rhino horn is made of keratin, which is the same protein that forms the basis of our own
hair and nails. A rhino's horn will grow continuously throughout it’s
entire life, growing on average about 7 centimeters a year
for the white rhino.
Fact six
Rhinos have poor vision. A rhino's eyesight isn't great.
If you were standing still just 30 meters away,
it's likely that the rhino wouldn't even see you, but with their great sense of smell,
they're most likely smell you anyway
Fact 7
Javan rhinos are only found in one place on earth. A world heritage site
in Java is home to the last remaining wild Javan rhinos on earth.
But this is a precarious place to live with an active volcano just 50 kilometers
away, and the ever-present threat of tsunamis.
That's why establishing a safe place in Indonesia for another population of Javan
rhinos is really a priority.
Fact 8
Rhinos make an array of weird and wonderful sounds
when they're communicating. Black rhinos snort
when they're angry, makes knees like calls
as alarms, and even scream
when they feel scared. Rhinos can also communicate through their poo and urine.
when rhinos go to poo in the same place as other rhinos, an area known as a latrine,
they're able to pick up the scent of other rhinos,
and therefore know who is in the area
Fact 9
They love mud. Rhinos can often be seen
rolling around in mud, giving themselves a mud coat to keep
them cool, protect them from insects biting,
and help get rid of any parasites.
Asian rhinos are also excellent swimmers, often being able to cross rivers with ease.
But in contrast to this, African rhinos are poor swimmers and can even drown in deep water.
So they prefer to stick to the mud baths to keep them cool.
Fact 10
rhinos are under threat.
Over 7100 African rhinos have been killed by poaching in the last ten years.
That's around two rhinos everyday.
Ground rhino horn is used in traditional Asian medicine, in the belief that it
cures a range of ailments from cancer, to hangovers.
But the fact is as we've just learnt rhino horn is made up of keratin.
So it's just like drinking a cup of ground down fingernails.
we continue to tackle the issue of wildlife crime.
We work with government and local agencies to help deal with the threat of poaching
and wildlife trafficking. Amazing technology
such as inserting GPS microchips into rhino horn is just one of the ways that
we're working to protect this magnificent species.
We really hope that you've enjoyed this video.
Please comment below to let us know which species you'd like to hear facts about next,
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