Symbolizes: Steadiness
The black and white rhino both have grey skin; the difference between the two species is upper lip shape. White rhinos have a “square” upper lip and Black rhinos have a “pointy” upper lip.
Poaching for their horn which is comprised of keratin, is their main threat. It can fetch up to $65,000/kg. in the illegal trade.
Rhinos are an important part of maintaining watering holes in the African plains. Their love of wallowing keeps the watering holes depth and prevents them from drying up. Not only this, their skin also collects nutrient rich mud from the watering holes which is then dispersed as they migrate keeping ground soil healthy.
The black rhino is smaller than the white rhino and weighs 1,750-3,000 pounds. Males and females are the same size.
There are three sub-species of black rhino; one has gone extinct in recent years and the others are critically endangered.
There are approximately 5,500 individuals left.
Like elephants, rhinoceroses communicate using infrasonic frequencies that are below the threshold of human hearing.