Things you probably did not know about rhinos
Among other things, rhino horns are made from the same stuff as human nails and hair.
The recent rhino horn trade ban lift has left some rhino conservationists deeply unhappy, yet others feel this is the only way to preserve the species.
What makes the rhino so significant in the modern world?
According to a local rhino horn conservationist and co-founder of the Rhino Rescue Project, Lorinda Hern, rhinos, who are part of the Big Five, are unique because certain Asian cultures believe that rhino horn can cure sickness and keep you healthy if you inhale it in a powder form.
“But the fact is, rhino horn has been shown by numerous studies to have no medicinal value,” she said.
Here are a few more things, according to the Save the Rhino organisation, that you probably did not know about rhinos:
• Rhinos can grow to over two metres tall and more than three metres in length.
• Rhino skin maybe thick but it can be quite sensitive to sunburns and insect bites which is why they like to wallow in water so much – when the mud dries it acts as protection from the sunburns and insects.
• The closest living rhino “relatives” are tapirs, horses and zebras. They are part of a group of mammals called odd-toed ungulates.
• Rhinos have poor eyesight, but very well-developed senses of olfaction (smell) and hearing.
• Relative to their large body size, rhinoceros have small brains
• They can run up to 65 kilometres per hour; the fastest human can run bout 20 kilometres an hour, so finding a tree to climb is a better strategy than trying to outrun a rhino.
Unfortunately, not all facts, according to Lorinda, about rhinos are fun:
• One kilogram of rhino horn sells for thousands of Dollars.
• There are less than 20 000 rhinos left, globally. At the beginning of the 20th century there were 500 000 rhinos across Africa and Asia. This fell to 70 000 by 1970.
• About three rhinos are lost, to either death by poaching or naturally, every day.
• According to the Save the Rhino organisation, 749 rhinos have already been poached in South Africa this year (as of 27 August).
Tell us how you feel about the rhino horn trade being lifted in South Africa? Tell us in the comments below.
Related articles:
• ‘There is a better way to save rhinos’
• Pregnant rhino poached – humans take action
• Rhino poaching at Askari Game Lodge
