Unlike its exclusively African (in origin) relative the White Rhino, the Black Rhino originated from Europe in the Pliocene era and is one of only 3 genera that survived from original 30 genus found throughout North America, Africa and Europe. The gestation of the one calf takes 15-16 months and the calf stays with the mother until it’s between 2.5-3.5 years old, and so they breed fairly slowly. So, the poaching of Rhino horn (for use in the Middle East and Asia), has and is a big problem for this animal. There are believed to be only about 4,000 left in Africa. The colour is dark grey and not black. It differs from the White Rhino in that it is smaller, it has a hook lip that it uses to browse on bushes rather than graze.
A territorial animal that intermittently leaves piles of dung along its boundary as a ‘chemical signpost’ they are very difficult to find in the Maasai Mara. The best areas being around Roan Hill, Lookout Hill and between Rhino Ridge and Lookout hill. By the middle of the day they usually seek shade and will start browsing again in late afternoon. They have particularly poor eyesight, but very good hearing and sense of smell, with ears acting like radar they are constantly assessing potential danger and being able to gallop at 50 kms/h they are often considered one of the more dangerous animals in the bush.
Longevity about 40years.
