Rudo Rhino

To learn a bit more about me and other rhinos, check out the Five Fun Facts below! There’s a word search too, and a cool colouring sheet showing Zeb, Oki, and me just before we surfed the dunes in Sossusvlei.

Fun facts about Rudo and rhinos:

• Rudo is a type of black rhinoceros, or rhino for short. The word “rhinoceros” means “nose horn” and there are five species of rhino in the world today – black, white, Indian, Javan, and Sumatran! Both black and white rhinos live in Africa, and both are actually grey!
• Black and white rhinos have two horns, whereas the other rhinos have just one. Rhinos are hunted for their horns because some people believe that eating the horns helps to treat a number of illnesses. In fact, rhino horns are just made from keratin, a protein found in human hair and fingernails.
• Rhinos eat tree branches and roots. They use their horns to break branches off trees and to dig for roots. They also use their horns to defend themselves and their thick skin is good for protection too!
• Black rhinos live alone, except for when males (“bulls”) and females (“cows”) meet for mating. Each rhino has a home range. These areas can be as small as one square mile and as large as 40 square miles! Where there is less food, it is necessary for the rhinos to roam across a larger area.
• A rhino pregnancy lasts for 15 to 16 months. When the calf is born, the mother looks after it very well. Adult rhinos are very rarely killed by big cats and crocodiles, but baby rhinos are often targeted because of their much smaller size.