White Rhinoceros
Distribution
Central and Southern Africa
Diet
Herbivore
Habitat
Savannah
Latin Name
Ceratotherium simum
IUCN conservation status
Rhinos are the only animal species to have a horn on their snout and are the second-largest land mammals after elephants.
Interesting informations
Strict Herbivores Roaming the African Savannah
The main part of their diet consists of grass, which they graze on with their thick, square lips. They consume between 30 and 40 kilos of food daily to meet their needs. They can drink up to 80 litres of water at a time.
Large, Heavy and Massive, Rhinos Appear Prehistoric!
Rhinoceroses are pachyderms or animals with a very thick skin: up to 4.5 cm in places! Their two horns, made of keratin, grow throughout their lives: the one on the tip of their nose is always longer. Rhinos love mud baths, which dry out and protect their skin from the sun and insect bites.
Semi-social Animals Fiercely Protective of Their Offspring
White rhinos are sedentary and territorial. It's not uncommon to see females group together, with fewer than a dozen individuals present. Males are solitary and only seek the company of females when they're in heat. The mother leaves the herd to give birth and only returns to her group after a few weeks.
Hunted for its Horn, the Pachyderm is Being Driven to Extinction
Made from the same material as our fingernails and hair, rhino horns are ground into powder and used in traditional Asian medicine. To ward off poachers, many rhinos are concentrated in fenced areas and protected by armed guards. There are less than 16,000 white rhinos living in the wild.
Featured animals
Shaboola
Date of birth
October 13, 1979
Weight
3 977.6 lb / 1 808 kg
Profile
Shaboola, born in the Toronto Zoo, moved to the Zoo de Granby in 2012 at the age of 33. The average rhino lives to be 40 years old, so she is now happily retired in our care!
Fun fact
Given her advanced age, the technicians visit Shaboola on a regular basis. Well aware of the animals' acute hearing, they always talk loudly when they enter the building to avoid surprising her!
K.C.
Date of birth
May 30, 2003
Weight
4 692.6 lb / 2 133 kg
Profile
K.C. arrived at the Zoo de Granby in 2007 from the White Oak Conservation Center at the age of 4. The imposing pachyderm is the proud and only male representative of his species at the zoo!
Fun fact
K.C can be finicky, making biomedical trainings more challenging than with other species; but our technicians have discovered that he enjoys being scratched and brushed. What an original reward!
