White rhinoceros
Adopt online
Our Standard Adoption scheme includes all this for just £50.00:
- A special Adoption Certificate.
- A car sticker.
- Stickers.
- A bookmark.
- A photo of a White rhinoceros.
- One adult day ticket
- Animal fact sheet, so you'll know all about the White rhinoceros.
- Access to the online Adopters Zone.
- Recognition on the adopter board at the White rhinoceros enclosure.
Want to help even more? Choose Premium Adoption below!
We also have a group adoption scheme for just £55 which is perfect for schools & clubs – call us on 01962 777988 to find out more.
About the White rhinoceros
What do I eat?
White rhinos are grazers and have a wide, flat lower lip so they can eat short grasses. They spend about half of the day grazing. White rhinos can go for several days without drinking.
Where do I live?
White Rhinos are found in grasslands and savannah in Southern Africa. Most white rhinos (98.8%) are in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Breeding
White rhinos usually first breed at 6 or 7 years of age. The gestation period is about 16 months. A single calf is usually born, but twins occur very occasionally.
Predators
Rhinos aren’t generally threatened by predators because of their large size, but calves and young rhinos are sometimes killed by lions, hyenas and occasionally crocodiles. Mothers will stay close to their calves to guard them.
Conservation
The white rhino is a conservation success story. Their numbers have increased from less than 100 in 1900 to over 20,000 today. This success is due to an intensive protection and translocation programme. However, rhinos are still under threat. In recent years there has been a massive increase in poaching, as demand for rhino horn has increased. Many rhinos are now in protected areas so it is easier to try to protect them from poachers.
Fast facts
Status Near Threatened
Size Head to body 340-420 cm, shoulder height 150-180 cm
Weight 1350 kg to 3500 kg. Males are heavier and larger than females.
Gestation 16 months
Young 1
Life span Up to 50 years in captivity
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Did you know?
The white rhino is thought to have got its name through the mistranslation of the Afrikaans name for wide, ‘wijd’, which describes the wide upper lip.
Rhinos have excellent hearing and can swivel each ear independently.
White rhinos have two horns. The front horn is normally the larger one, and usually grows to a length of about 90cm, but the record length is 150cm!
Rhinoceros means “nose horn” in Greek.