Number 6 Chantal Beyer Chantal Beyer, a student from Johannesburg,
was left clinging to life in what was one of the most gruesome rhino attacks in recent
years.
The woman and her boyfriend were at a South African animal park which advertised on its
website that visitors could see rhinos at close range.
Once they found the animals, their tour guide suggested that the couple move in closer for
a photo.
What was supposed to be a cherished memory for 24-year-old Beyer would instead serve
as a harrowing reminder of the time a rhino almost ended her life.
In the photo, the woman and her boyfriend can be seen standing with their backs turned
to two massive rhinos.
One of the beasts has its horn pointed towards Beyer.
Moments later, the rhino charged her and gored her from behind with its horn.
The woman was launched several feet into the air.
As the horn penetrated her chest, she suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
She was rushed to an intensive care in Krugersdorp, where doctors were able to stabilize her condition.
South Africa's Aloe Ridge Hotel and Nature Reserve didn't immediately comment on the
incident.
However, it was reported that Beyer's family believed the guide was mainly to blame in
the attack.
As a trained wildlife professional, he was supposed to know the dangers of getting too
close to rhinos and warn the couple instead of encouraging them.
Up next, an Australian zoo keeper gets gored in the arm and a couple stumbles upon two
fighting rhinos but, first, let’s learn more about these creatures.
The rhinoceros is one of the few remaining species of megafauna on Earth.
These creatures can attain gigantic proportions, with all species capable of weighing above
one ton.
The largest recorded specimens stand close to 7 feet at the shoulder, measure roughly
15 feet and can weigh nearly 9,000 pounds.
Rhinos have stocky bodies, short necks, broad chests and giant skulls.
Some species also own a prominent muscular hump on their backs, which helps support their
massive heads.
Their bodies are armored with thick skin, which is made out of layers of collagen.
Rhinos have one or two horns atop their heads.
They’re made of keratin, the same protein that’s found in human hair and fingernails.
For the white rhino, which is the largest species, the front horn can grow to be close
to 5 feet.
For a long time humans have been hunting rhinos, often illegally, for their horn.
It’s used in traditional medicine or to make ornamental objects.
This has led to some species becoming functionally extinct or critically endangered.
Ground up rhino horn can be worth as much or even more than gold on the black market.
This is due to the scientifically-unsupported belief in East Asian traditional medicine
that it can cure various ailments and increase virility.
Number 5 Rhino Gores Australian Zookeeper A senior keeper from Mogo Zoo in New South
Wales, Australia, was performing a routine feeding when she was gored by a 4-ton rhino.
The unnamed 47-year-old woman was feeding Kej, a southern white rhino, when it suddenly
attacked her.
Mogo Zoo officials referred to the attack as a "freak accident".
The keeper suffered a broken arm and a puncture wound on her forearm.
She received emergency treatment at the zoo and was later airlifted to Canberra Hospital.
It's still unclear why the rhino had attacked her but she reportedly wasn't in any life-threatening
danger.
According to a statement released by the facility’s management, the attack had taken place in
a part of the zoo that wasn't open to visitors.
Number 4 Peet van Schalkwyk Photographer Peet van Schalkwyk and his wife
were on a safari in South Africa when they encountered two massive rhino bulls which
were exchanging blows.
The beasts had been going head-to-head at a nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal called the
Hluhluwe Park.
Schalkwyk had been observing the rhino males before the fight started.
Then, at one point during the brutal bout, the rhinos turned their attention on Schwalkwyk's
car.
One of them tried to chase the vehicle away by jumping up and down in front of it.
They then both started sprinting towards it.
Schalkwyk later said "I wasn't afraid at all - that's because it was my wife's car".
The couple wasn't hurt and managed to capture some outstanding photos of the rhinos as they
were fighting and, later on, as they were charging at them.
Let’s learn more about where rhinos are located and later on we’ll go over an attack
in Nepal that left two men in critical condition.
Wild rhinos are mainly found in natural reserves in certain parts of Africa and Asia.
In Africa, these animals are split into black and white rhinos, each with their own subspecies
depending on where they’re located.
The overall classification of white and black rhinos has little to do with color but rather
with average size and mouth shape.
White rhinos are larger and have broad, flat lips while black rhinos have long, pointed
lips.
Poaching has significantly contributed to the dwindling population of African rhinos.
There are only two northern white rhino specimens, both females, left and they’re both in captivity.
Intense conservation efforts have seen some success in recent years and the numbers are
stable for the southern white rhino.
It’s, by far, the most abundant rhino population.
As it stands, most African rhinos are found in natural reserves across Namibia, South
Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Javan rhinos are mostly found in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java Indonesia.
The Sumatran rhino, the smallest and most threatened species, is located at very high
altitudes in Sumatra and Borneo.
Indian rhinos have a single horn and they’re nearly as large as their South-African relatives.
They’re restricted to the forests and grasslands at the foot hills of the Himalayas.
Most are found in protected areas in various regions of India and Nepal.
Number 3 Attack at Chitwan National Park Australian 18-year-old William Peter and his
tour guide, Jitu Mahato, were both injured at Nepal's Chitwan National Park where a rhino
had charged into them.
The attack left the teenager in critical condition.
The two had been on a jungle walk when the rhino rammed into them in what was described
as a sudden and unexpected attack.
Park security and other guides reached them shortly thereafter and called the emergency
services.
The two men were airlifted to the Mediciti Hospital in the capital city of Katmandu.
While officials didn't comment on their injuries, the teenager was reportedly battling for his
life while Mahato was also in serious condition.
Subsequent reports suggested they'd survived their wounds and were slowly recovering.
Coming up next, a rhino rams into the side of a car at full speed but, before we get
to that, let’s see how a rhino can kill you.
Rhinos are sort of nature’s version of armored tanks.
They’re hard to take down without firepower and tend to level most living things that
stand in their way.
The charge of exceptionally large specimens is reportedly powerful enough to derail a
train.
Needless to say, that type of impact can be devastating to a human being.
Even if you do somehow manage to survive a charged rhino attack, rhinos can use sheer
body mass to trample you to death.
Additionally, they can gore you with their horns causing extensive damage to bones and
internal organs.
The front horn, a feature common for all species, is the animal’s most effective weapon.
Combined with their strong neck muscles it can be used to impale and launch you several
feet in the air.
Black rhinos, in particular, have a reputation of attacking without provocation.
Competing rhino males are known to fight each other and have one of the highest rates of
mortal combat in the animal kingdom.
Number 2 Rhino Rams Car at Full Speed An incident captured on video by tourist Alexandra
Poier shows the horrific moment in which a black rhino rams its horn into the side of
an SUV.
Referred to as the world's worst case of road rage.
The attack took place at the Etosha National Park, in Namibia.
At first, the rhino seems to take an unusual interest in the Toyota which was parked on
a dusty road bordering its grassland habitat.
Fascination turned to fear for the visitors inside the vehicle as the rhino started sprinting
towards the car.
It then charged into the side of it, at full speed.
Poier was in a different vehicle when she filmed the attack.
According to the 48-year-old tourist, no one in the car that the rhino had charged into
was hurt.
The tour guides believed that the rhino had most likely mistaken the Toyota for a threat.
Before we get to number one on our list, about a rhino that flipped a vehicle with the occupant
still inside, let’s see how you can survive a potential attack.
The African rhino species are more willing to take on perceived threats than those in
Asia, which is not to say that attacks aren’t possible in their case as well.
Black rhinos are notoriously aggressive but, due to their numbers being low, white rhinos
are responsible for the majority of attacks.
The most common rhino charges on humans or vehicles involve mothers protecting their
calves.
So, in the wild it’s best to avoid them whether you’re driving or on foot.
One of the warning signs that an attack is coming is that a rhino will snort loudly.
Once a charge has begun, the beast can build up speed rather quickly so you need to react
accordingly.
Rhinos generally have poor eyesight so the best thing to do is to use obstacles in the
environment to break their charge.
This means hiding behind trees or large rocks.
Rhinos aren’t predators so they’re likely to give up on a target once it’s out of
sight.
In spite of their bulky size, these animals can change direction quite deftly.
Still, if there’s enough space between you and an attacking rhino, you can run in the
direction opposite to the charge while searching for an obstacle.
If there isn’t anything to hide behind then you can also try standing your ground, waving
your arms and making a lot of noise.
Rhinos rely on their sense of hearing and will usually stay away from strange noises.
If all else fails remember that the last thing a rhino does before striking is to lower its
head.
It’s a risk, but if you can time dodging properly, there’s a chance you’ll avoid
the attack.
Number 1 Attack at Serengeti Park In 2019, an animal keeper feared for her life
as her car was attacked by a massive rhino at an animal park in Germany.
The beast, a bull named Kusini, flipped the vehicle over three times while the terrified
keeper was helplessly trapped inside.
It's still unclear what had enraged Kusini to the point that he started slamming his
horn and body into the car.
The small hatchback was severely damaged in the attack but the unnamed keeper emerged
mostly unscathed, only having suffered a few bruises.
The manager at the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen believed that Kusini had attacked the vehicle
because he was still adjusting to his surroundings.
The animal had only been with the park for about eighteen months.
Another theory is that he'd mistaken the car, which was painted with animal stripes, for
a threatening wildlife creature.
The manager of the zoo claimed that Kusini wasn't a danger to visitors since he was only
allowed on the premises in the mornings and evenings, when the park wasn't open to the
public.
This wasn't, however, the first animal attack to be reported at the zoo.
Earlier that same year, an animal keeper was left in critical condition after he'd accidentally
ended up in a lion enclosure.
Thanks for watching!
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