Black Rhino

These herbivores were the most prolific of all rhino species but have fallen victim to the inescapable grasp of humans over the past half a century. The drop in their population has become more severe since 2001, mainly due to a rise in poaching and illegal rhino horn trade. Today, there are as few as 5500 individuals left in the wild. Each year for the past three years, close to 1 000 rhinos were killed by poachers. In recent years, conservation efforts have yielded promising results that could serve as a silver lining for those looking for hope. Parks in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa have had steady growth rates amongst their black rhino populations in recent years, bringing back memories of the pioneering efforts of this region in white rhino conservation some 20 or so years ago.

Black rhinos adapt well to several habitats, provided there are many woody plants, trees, and large bushes – they are browsers by nature and thus only eat leaves and fruit. Apart from this, there is little else they require, and any forest or dense woodland area is a perfect living environment for these rhinos. It is partly why they still have populations in the rain forests of the Congo, and the Kruger National Park, two environments one would expect to sustain completely different groups of animals. Black rhinos have preferences for certain shrubs but can consume over 200 species of plants, making them very diverse browsers and adaptable to many environments.

Females usually form small crashes with home ranges rather than strict territories, while males are typically solitary and territorial. However, black rhinos often seem more solitary than they are because of their small population and are similar to white rhinos in their social organization. Mothers and calves usually live apart from a crash. Still, juvenile male or female rhinos rejected by their parents have been recorded living with such a mother and calf if the mother is willing to allow it. Furthermore, they usually socialize or meet up at water holes or dams. In one of the only encounters I have had with black rhinos, they gathered around a waterhole near a rest camp in the Etosha National Park of Namibia at night, around 8 of them, cooling off together.

Their daily lives rarely consist of any other goal than survival, meaning they mostly eat or find food and sleep. They are most active early in the day and late in the afternoon, like most herbivores. They enjoy mud baths and rubbing their backs against big trees, which help them maintain healthy skins through a kind of "rhino exfoliation." Males may battle over territory or when there is a mate to be won over in disputed territory but largely keep to themselves in most other respects. Male black rhinos do, however, mark their territories by spraying urine or feces at the edges of their respective territories, signaling to any passers-by through the scent signature unique to every rhino individual.

Black rhinos mate at any time of the year when a female ovulates. The male detects that a female is ready to mate by her urine and the scent she leaves behind. He usually approaches her, nudging or charging at her and then spraying urine or calling out to her as he attempts to get her attention. The female's typical response may seem quite violent – she attacks him or squeals – but this is all part of the courtship of rhinos. After that, they may mate regularly, as the male stays with the female for the next few weeks before resuming a solitary existence. Male rhinos reach sexual maturity around ten years, and females around seven years. After they have successfully bred, the rhino cow will give birth to a single calf some 15 – 16 months later and look after it for the next 2 to 4 years as it learns to be independent.

When threatened by predators, black rhinos usually snort, puff, or act like they are going to charge at the threat. However, they will typically skip the bluffing and charge at a predator or threat when they have calves. Black rhinos are usually not bothered by predators because of their size, but lions may threaten calves when food supplies run low, or most other animals have left the area for the dry season. Black rhino calves also typically run behind their mothers, unlike white ones. It is mainly because black rhinos call denser woodland areas home where visibility is reduced. As a result, mothers run in front to lead the way, with their calves following closely. These days, poachers pose the greatest threat to black rhinos, a danger they have had little time to adapt to and have little resistance against, primarily when these criminals use large caliber rifles.