Botswana Travel Guide
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Botswana Travel Guide

White rhinoceros



Ceratotherium simum Shoulder height 180cm. Weight 1,500–2,000kg.
The white rhino is in fact no paler in colour than the black rhino – the 'white' derives from the Afrikaans weit (wide) and refers to its flattened mouth, an ideal shape for cropping grass. This is the best way to tell the two rhino species apart, since the mouth of the black rhino, a browser in most parts of its range, is more rounded with a hooked upper lip. (Note that there is no colour difference at all between these two species of rhino; 'white' and 'black' are not literal descriptions.)

Unlike their smaller cousins, white rhino are generally placid grazing animals which are very rarely aggressive. They prefer open grassy plains and are often seen in small groups. In the accounts of the first trips across Africa by the early white explorers, rhino were found (and shot) in huge numbers.

As with the black rhino, hunting and poaching reduced the population of African white rhinos drastically, reaching a crisis in the 1980s – when only a few South African reserves remained with really strong populations (notably Umfolozi and Hluhluwe). Amongst other countries, Zimbabwe retained remnants whilst Botswana, Zambia and others were effectively poached out.

Since then those parks which effectively saved the species have been used as reservoirs, to slowly re-populate a few protected areas. Recently some have been reintroduced into the Chief's Island area of Moremi, with encouraging success. It's hoped that this will continue, and that once again Botswana will be able to boast at least one area where rhino are prolific.


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