With World Rhino Day falling on 22 September, we’re taking a moment to reflect on these incredible creatures and share their plight. It’s a sad reality that the world’s rhinos are facing the very real threat of extinction as poaching continues to erase a treasured species from the wild. For this reason, conservation and supporting our anti-poaching unit is a vital part of what we do at Nambiti Hills Private Game Experience.
In celebration of one of Mother Nature’s most loved icons, here are a few interesting facts about rhinos.
- There are five species
Africa is home to black and white rhinos, whilst Asia has the other three. These include greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran rhinos. Most of these species are marked as critically endangered by the IUCN, all the more reason to protect and preserve them.
- Black and white rhinos are actually grey
The story goes as follows; the white rhino gets its name from the Afrikaans word “wyd” meaning wide in reference to its wide and square lip. Black rhinos on the other hand, have a pointy upper lip. It’s said that English explorers misheard “wyd” and assumed it was “white.” They then called the other species black rhino so that they could differentiate between the two. (Tale courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund – WWF).
- Females are more sociable than males
Known as bulls (males) and cows (females), rhinos of different genders tend to socialise in diverse ways. The cows are more likely to spend time with other rhinos, whilst territorial bulls prefer a more solitary life, which is why they’re often found alone.
- The collective noun for a group of rhinos is…
A crash! This is both amusing and ironic once you consider their size and the sound they’d make if they ran into a tree (or each other)!
- Their horns are no different from our fingernails
The poaching of our rhinos is both sad and totally unnecessary, especially when you consider that they’re killed for their horns that are composed of keratin. This is the very same protein that makes up our hair and fingernails.
Join us in appreciating and protecting our rhinos
To take in the quiet splendour of the majestic rhino, a trip to Nambiti Hills Private Game Experience is a must. For more on how you can plan your getaway, get in touch with us today by calling on +27 (0)31 333 6273 or emailing reservations@nambitihills.com