Black Rhino

The black rhino is one of the two rhino species found in Africa. In the same way that the white rhino is not white, the black rhino is not actually black. Its skin is more of a grey colour. There are a number of theories as to why the black rhino is called ‘black’ but two of the most common are that the upper lip has a type of beak formation and this has been translated to ‘black’ and perhaps the more common theory is that is that the English called it black as it was opposite to white! The black rhino is also known as the hook lipped rhino.

The black rhino is a browser and is often found in thick bush. Far more shy, secretive and aggressive than the white rhino, the black rhino can be more difficult to track and spot.

Populations of black rhino have been decimated over recent years. It is thought that as recently as 1970 there were as many as 65,000 black rhinos in the wild. The estimated population today is less than 5,000.