White rhino

1. Ceratotherium simum
.At the beginning of the 20th century there were a hundred white
rhinos left in the wild. Today the species has successfully recovered
thanks to conservation programs, although habitat destruction and
poaching continue to take their toll. The northern subspecies is on
the verge of extinction.
The wide and straight lip is due to the fact that this animal
preferentially feeds on grasses that it collects from the ground,
while the black rhinoceros feeds on bushy vegetation. Thanks
to this, the two species of African rhinos, otherwise very similar
in habits, can coexist in the same ecosystem . Mating does not
occur at a specific time, and females give birth to a single
offspring every four or five years, when the previous one has
already matured.

Successful conservation programs have saved the white rhino

from extinction, but there is still much to be done. The species
is listed as ‘near threatened’ by the IUCN, but the northern
subspecies is extremely endangered, with only 2 surviving
individuals, both females. Here are some curiosities about
these emblematic animals.
 The horn of rhinos is not a true horn like that of cows or bulls as it
does not grow from the skull, nor a tusk, like that of
hippopotamuses, elephants or wild boars as it does not grow from
the mouth. It is a hardness in the nose area and is formed by keratin,
the same material that forms nails and hair . [ 4 ]​Thus, if the horn is
broken in a fight, it can regenerate, even growing 7 cm a year.
 They can reach 24 km/h during the race, and reach up to 40 km/h
in a short time. They are usually non-aggressive animals, but
females with young can attack if they feel threatened.
Decades of poaching and illegal trade that have reduced their population to limits that
practically border on extinction . The use of its horns in alternative medicines without
scientific basis has not helped either. The increase in the human population, together
with the destruction of ecosystems and climate change, are forcing authorities to look
for new homes for these armed giants