Overview
Powerful, solitary and critically endangered, the black rhino is one of the rarest and most sought-after sightings on an African safari. Smaller and more compact than the white rhino, it moves through bushland and scrub with an alert, purposeful presence.
Black rhinos are often described as aggressive, but their behaviour is better understood as highly alert and defensive. Their eyesight is limited, and they may react quickly when surprised or unable to identify the source of a sound or scent. Given space, they generally avoid unnecessary confrontation.
The species suffered a catastrophic decline during the twentieth century because of hunting and poaching for its horns. Intensive protection and carefully managed translocations have helped numbers recover from their lowest point, but the black rhino remains Critically Endangered and heavily dependent on continued conservation.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a compact, heavy-bodied rhino with two horns, a pointed upper lip and a head usually carried higher than that of a white rhino.
Black rhinos are mainly browsers and spend much of their time moving between patches of shrubs and woody vegetation. They use the hooked upper lip almost like a finger, curling it around a stem before pulling leaves and shoots into the mouth.
Their eyesight is relatively poor, but their hearing and sense of smell are excellent. The ears can rotate independently to track sounds, while scent marking and dung middens help rhinos communicate with others moving through the same area.
Interesting facts
Black rhinos are not actually black. Black and white rhinos are both generally grey-brown, with their appearance often changed by the colour of the soil and mud in which they wallow.
Their upper lip works almost like a grasping finger. It can curl around leaves and narrow branches, allowing the rhino to select food with surprising precision.
Rhino horn is made from keratin. This is the same structural protein found in human hair and fingernails, rather than bone or ivory.