The rhinoceros is an animal of the mammal species. Among the remains found are some that have shown that rhinos are two to three million years old because this was a species that poachers have been hunting mercilessly and unscrupulously over the past century, so the number of rhinos has now dropped tremendously. It is estimated that there are only about 10% of those that existed in the early 1900s.
Rhinos are some of the most powerful and imposing animals. In addition, rhinos are the only deer among Equidae, which can also include horses, donkeys, zebras, and their closest relatives. With the help of their protective tool – a strong and long horn, rhinos protect their families and territory. Three of the five rhino species carry two protective horns, although some people claim to have seen five-horned animals. Despite the power and strength of rhinos, they are very vulnerable. Previously, there were many species of animals in this class, but only 5 have survived to date: Indian, Sumatra, Javanese, white and black.
The body of these mammals is very large. Their head is very massive. The two horns are located on the nose and are different in length: One is smaller and the other is larger. The white rhinoceros have a gray color, and the black rhinoceros have a darker color, as the name itself confirms.
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As I mentioned, these animals are herbivores. They consume grass, bushes, or leaves of trees. Of their predators, the most notable are humans, who want their front horns, very valuable on the black market. Because they defend themselves fiercely, using their horns, rhinoceroses are extremely dangerous.
Rhinos’ vision is low, but they compensate with their special speed and can reach up to 50 kilometers per hour. They are also very agile. In addition, you should know that rhinos are second in the top of the largest mammals, after elephants.
Rhinos are most active at night, and during the day they will rest. Rhinoceros are not natural predators, as they are herbivores, but they are very cautious and even shy. Therefore, the rhinoceros try to stay away from people. However, if the rhino senses danger, it can attack, but in general, reports of a rhinoceros attacking a person are a rarity.
How Dangerous Are Rhinos?
Each rhino has its own territory – a pasture and a reservoir, which is its personal “land”, and guards its territory dominantly. Rhinos mark the boundaries of their territory with piles of manure, which also serve as a kind of “aromatic” landmark, allowing them to walk and stay in their own space.
Rhinos are cautious animals, therefore, they try to stay away from humans and other predators, but when they feel danger, they always attack first and attack very violently. Therefore, when you meet a rhino, you need to behave extremely carefully and delicately, because an angry rhino can run at a speed of 40-45 km per hour and nothing can stop such a huge running animal.
They can only see moving objects from a distance of no more than 30 meters. In addition, the fact that their eyes are placed on the side does not give them the opportunity to properly examine different objects; they see them first with one eye, then with the other.
But the sense of smell in rhinos, on the contrary, is perfectly developed and they base their lives on it the most. Interestingly, the volume of the nasal cavity in rhinos is greater than the volume of their brain. Hearing is also well developed in these giants. The ears of rhinos are like tubes that rotate constantly, capturing even faint sounds.
Are Rhinos Aggressive?
Rhinoceros are solitary animals that do not like to interact with other creatures than with their mother or offspring, or when adults seek association with females during mating season. In some of the species, such as white or Indian, there are exceptions and some of these animals might form pairs that give rise to larger groups later.
Usually, they move across the same territory throughout their lives. These territories can stretch between 3 and 90 kilometers and rhinos mark them with feces and urine to remember their return.
Females have fewer problems with territories, and rivalry usually does not occur between them. On the contrary, they tend to touch their noses as a symbol of welcome, except in the case of the Indian rhinoceros who respond aggressively to proximity to their territory.
However, males will fight anyone who wants to step on their ground. In these confrontations, the same gestures are made over and over again until one of the two surrenders.
Fights are easy because they don’t usually attack each other, but they push each other with their horns so that the other one gives up. If the winner were the intruder, the “owner” of the territory would stop marking it with urine and feces and take the position of a subordinate.
Do Rhinos Attack Humans?
Although they are often considered aggressive, they attack to scare an intruder, and they are generally shy.
Rhinos are generally very cautious, and shy and when sensing people, they leave. Angry, wounded, or very frightened, they pounce on the enemy with the greatest fury, hitting with the horns. In this case, rhinos are very dangerous because of their enormous power, but generally, according to experienced hunters, hunting these animals is less dangerous than in the case of elephants, lions, and buffalo. However, many died from the powerful rhino horns.
According to statistics, every year the rhinoceros’ attacks kill at least one person. As a rule, rhinos do not attack humans for no reason, but if you scare an animal or approach a female with a baby, then it becomes incredibly aggressive.
Rhinoceroses run, reaching speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour, and delivering a strong blow with their horn. Most often, this blow is enough to break almost all the bones of a person’s body. After that, the rhino begins to trample the victim’s body with its strong hooves, leaving the human no chance.
Do Rhinos Eat People?
Rhinos are herbivores, which means they only eat vegetation. The type of vegetation they eat varies depending on the species. This is because their snout has different forms to be able to eat different types of food. For example, the black rhino eats trees or bushes because its long lips allow it to pick up leaves and fruits from above. The white rhinoceros have a flat-shaped snout that allows them to approach the ground to eat grass.
The rhinos’ diet is strictly based on plants and they will never eat meat, not even human flesh. Even though they attack humans they can’t be compared to hippos, who can adapt their diet and eat meat, including humans.
Summing Up
When provoked or threatened, rhinos can be very aggressive and dangerous. These are the cases when a mother rhino is with its calf or you enter a male’s territory. Aside from these scenarios they are very peaceful.
Although rhinos are considered dangerous and aggressive, it should be noted that all five species of rhinoceros are listed as endangered or vulnerable by the IUCN. Three are listed as critically endangered. These are the Javanese, Sumatran, and black rhinos. OIne is considered vulnerable, the Indian, and one is almost threatened, the white rhino.
Rhinos were continually driven to the brink of extinction by human poachers. What these hunters are pursuing are rhino horns, which, when ground into powder, are appreciated in the east as aphrodisiacs. Today, the largest market for powdered rhino horn is in Vietnam, because Chinese authorities have recently repressed this illicit trade.
