Species · GBIF taxon 5220111
Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornisAlso known as Black Rhino, Hook-lipped Rhinoceros, Hook-lipped Rhino
Black rhinoceroses are solitary, browser specialists that use their prehensile, hooked upper lips to strip leaves and twigs from thorny acacia bushes. They navigate dense scrub with surprising agility, relying on acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell to compensate for their notoriously poor eyesight. These formidable herbivores play a vital role in shaping their habitat by keeping woody vegetation in check, which allows grasses to grow for other savanna grazers.
MegafaunaSolitaryBrowser
Licensed referenceDerek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Acacia twigs
- Woody shrubs
- Forbs
Predators
- Humans
- Lions
- Spotted Hyenas
ThreatsPoaching for horns and habitat fragmentation
HabitatsSavannas, shrublands, and desert borders
Life span35 to 50 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyRhinocerotidae
- SpeciesDiceros bicornis
Native
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Highly territorial and prone to charging; maintain a safe distance and remain inside a vehicle.
- Why it is dangerous
- Capable of charging at speeds up to 55 kilometers per hour when threatened, using its horns to inflict fatal wounds.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Distinguished by its pointed, prehensile upper lip, smaller size than the white rhino, and concave back.
- What to do
- Never approach on foot; stay inside a safari vehicle and back away quietly if a rhino shows signs of agitation.
- What to notice
- Look for the distinctive hooked upper lip and two horns, often found in dense brush rather than open grasslands.
- Support conservation
- Avoid sharing real-time GPS coordinates of sightings online to protect individuals from poachers.
Responsible observation
- Keep Distance: Maintain a distance of at least 100 meters when observing from a vehicle.
- Watch the Ears: Pay attention to ear movements; pinned-back ears indicate irritation or an impending charge.
- Stay Quiet: Keep voices low and avoid sudden movements, as loud noises can easily startle them.
Symbiont Gerrie van Vuuren / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Calf Predator "African Lion" by Mathias Appel is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. · cc0
Close Relative Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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