Timbavati Wildlife Park - Rhinoceros

Greetings friends and welcome to this week’s blog post. We hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend! Again we'd like to thank our veterans that have served and give thanks in remembrance for those who have paid the ultimate price in defense of these great United States of America! That said, let’s jump into the Grasslands Area and visit with our new little big buddy Naasaha the White Rhinoceros.

Naasaha is a male rhinoceros and he is 3 years old. White rhinos come from the grassy plains of Africa. White rhinos are the second largest land mammals on the planet. They weigh over 2 tons and stand around 6 feet tall. Please do not mistake this animals size for having a lack of agility. A rhinoceros can run at speeds of 31 miles an hour. They are also adept at making sharp turns during a full charge. So just for a quick review its 2 tons and can motor at 31mph for around a mile. A United States Army tank moves at 25mph off road, yeah fast like that.

The white rhinoceros has a square jaw and walks with its head low to the ground. It makes sense then that its diet is primarily based upon grasses and brush. The black rhinoceros walks around with it’s head up and has a pointed lip. It eats trees and bushes and that happens to be one of the most visible distinctions between the two.

There used to be 30 different species of rhinoceros on this planet, unfortunately due to humans there are only five species of rhinoceros left. The female rhinoceros only gives birth every two and a half to five years so growing and maintaining their numbers will take time and diligence. Understanding how dire their numbers actually are gives us a glimpse into just how much they need our help. There are about 20,000 white rhinoceros left in the world.

Keeper talks, tours and everyday interactions in Timbavati Wildlife Park are generally filled with educational experiences. We not only teach animal facts but we encourage, teach and engage in conservation awareness and activities. There’s always more to learn. Thanks for reading and here are more fun facts about the rhinoceros in this week’s video.