It has never been white; it is simply a misnomer!
The name “white” is actually derived from the Dutch word “weit,” meaning “wide,” referring to the animal’s broad mouth, which is designed for grazing. This species, with its massive body, wide mouth for grazing on grasses, and two horns, plays a pivotal role in its ecosystem by influencing the structure of the grasslands and serving as a keystone species in its habitat.
The White Rhinoceros is divided into two subspecies: the Northern White Rhino (NWR) and the Southern White Rhino (SWR). Both subspecies have historically roamed across much of sub-Saharan Africa, but their populations have suffered dramatically due to poaching and habitat loss. The primary driver of this decline is the illegal trade in rhino horn, fueled by demand in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and China, where the horn is erroneously believed to have medicinal properties or is used as a symbol of wealth and status. The involvement of organized international crime syndicates in the poaching and trading of rhino horns has made conservation efforts even more challenging.
The Southern White Rhino once teetered on the edge of extinction, with only a small population of 20–50 animals by the end of the 19th century. However, concerted conservation efforts, including stringent protection and management practices, have enabled this subspecies to rebound impressively. Today, they are the most abundant of all rhino species, though they continue to face threats from poaching and habitat loss.
In stark contrast, the Northern White Rhino has been driven to near extinction in the wild, primarily due to poaching. With only two females remaining under strict protection and surveillance, the subspecies is functionally extinct, and its survival depends on advanced reproductive techniques and meticulous conservation strategies.
Distribution
Botswana
Official estimate
Central Af. Rep.
Official estimate
Chad
Official estimate
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Eswatini
Kenya
Official estimate
Mozambique
Official estimate
Namibia
Official estimate
Senegal
South Africa
Official estimate
South Sudan
Sudan
Official estimate
Tanzania
Official estimate
Uganda
Official estimate
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Official estimate
Recent updates
June 2024: South African scientists have pioneered a project to combat poaching by injecting radioactive material into live rhino horns, making them easier to detect at border posts.
April 2024: Scientists working in partnership with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance have released a study detailing the potential to revive the northern white rhino using embryos generated from 12 frozen skin cells stored in the “Frozen Zoo,” which houses over 10,000 living cell cultures, oocytes, sperm, and embryos.
January 2024: The international BioRescue team, supported by the German government, announced that the IVF procedure resulted in a successful 70-day pregnancy, with a well-developed male embryo measuring 6.4 cm (2.5 inches) long.
Feb 2023: The BioRescue project, led by Professor Thomas Hildebrandt, is working to reverse the fate of the northern white rhino. Utilizing the latest in veterinary science and cell biology, the team is attempting to create a “test-tube baby” rhino, with the goal that the first new baby NWRs could be born as early as 2024.
Feb 2023: The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has successfully overturned the decision to include certain wild animal species in the Animal Improvement Act 62 of 1998 (“AIA”), thereby protecting them from potential exploitation. This decision serves to preserve the rights of these vulnerable creatures and ensure their protection against any potential harm.
Did you know?
- Only five countries are home to about 98.5% white rhinos. Previously they lived in around forty-eight countries.
- Grassy savannas and woods with grassy clearings are their homes.
- White rhinos have a square upper lip, also known as the square-lipped rhinoceros.
- They feed exclusively on short grasses and can be described as ‘selective lawnmowers.’
- White rhinos are the second largest land mammal. They can weigh over 3500kg, heavier than black rhinos.
- White Rhinos are surprisingly fast for their size and weight and can run up to 40 km/h for brief periods1 rhino killed every 9 hours ( 2017, data). of time.
- 1 rhino killed every 9 hours ( 2017, data).
- White rhinos are the most social rhinos. They occasionally gather in groups of as many as a dozen individuals.
- White rhinos grow two horns, with the front being more prominent than the other. Rhino horns can grow up to 3 inches per year and can reach 5 feet.
- Unfortunately, myths about horns’ medicinal properties are responsible for killing Rhinos for their horns, especially used in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
- This hard hairlike growth (rhino horn) is brainlessly considered a status symbol and utilized as an ornamental dagger handle in North Africa and the Middle East.
- In Nov 2021, 30 white rhinos were translocated more than 3,400 kilometers (2,113 miles) from South Africa to Rwanda, which is the largest single rhino translocation in history.
- Recently, CITES COP19 downgraded the status of southern white rhinos. Despite an increase in poaching, the proposal to move the southern white rhino from Appendix I to Appendix II was approved at the 19th Conference of Parties, which is a significant blow to rhino conservation in Africa.
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size)/ Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
White rhino on banknotes
