White Rhinoceros: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Giants of Africa · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. White rhinos hit 64 km/h in short bursts and can hold 48-50 km/h for longer stretches.
2. A white rhino's ears move independently, but it relies most on smell. Its smell passages are larger than its brain.
3. Dominant bulls mark their territory with dung, laid in neat piles. A bull may have 20 to 30 of them.
4. White rhinos spend about half their day grazing and a third resting. They can go up to five days without water.
5. Like every rhino species, white rhinos love a mud bath to cool off.

The quiz

1. What speed can white rhinos hit in short bursts?

• 14 km/h
• 64 km/h (correct)
• 104 km/h
• 6 km/h

They hit 64 km/h in short bursts.

2. Which sense does a white rhino depend on most?

• Smell (correct)
• Sight
• Taste
• Touch

Its ears pick up sounds, but smell is the sense it relies on most.

3. How many dung piles may a bull have?

• 2 to 3
• 200 to 300
• 5 to 8
• 20 to 30 (correct)

A bull may have 20 to 30 dung piles to mark his territory.

4. How long can a white rhino survive without water?

• Up to one day
• Up to two weeks
• Up to five days (correct)
• Up to one month

It can survive up to five days without water.

5. How do white rhinos cool down?

• By wallowing in mud holes (correct)
• By climbing trees
• By hiding in caves
• By swimming in the sea

Like all rhinos, they cool off by wallowing in mud.

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