Whilst they may be black and white in name, African rhinos are actually grey.

Rhinos can be easily distinguished by the shape of their lips.  A black rhino has a hooked lip whilst a white rhino will have a square lip. Black rhinos have less of a pronounced hump on the back of their necks.

Horns are used by rhinos as weapons during confrontations and for protection. They may also be used during encounters with other rhinos to demonstrate dominance or make a threat display. Whilst rhino calves are both without horns, a stub will appear from the age of one-two months and will continue to grow into a distinctive horn shape throughout a rhino’s lifetime.

The gestation period for a rhino is 15-17 months and at birth, calves can weigh around 30-45kg. Calves will suckle for up to one year and will remain with their mothers for 2-4 years or until a female is ready to calve again.

Rhinos are vital to keeping ecosystems in balance which means by protecting Africa’s rhinos, we protect other species too. As mega-herbivores, white rhinos have been described as ‘selective lawnmowers’ and help maintain grasslands, selectively grazing on certain grass species promoting biodiversity. Black rhinos also eat many woody plants which results in more grasses growing for the benefit of other animals.