Ceratotherium simum
IUCN Status: Near threatened
Visit us at: Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
Unlike its cousin the black rhino which is noted for its prehensile Lip, the white is sometimes known as the square lipped rhino as it’s mouth is very wide. This is how it gets its name , from the Afrikaans word weit meaning wide, which became widely translated as white, hence white and black rhino.
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White rhinos are the third largest land mammals, after African and Asian elephants. There are two subspecies of white rhino – Northern and Southern. Rampant poaching for their horn decimated their wild numbers and, there are currently only two northern female white rhinos left in the wild.
The majority (98.8%) of the southern white rhinos occur in just four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. Thanks to conservation efforts the southern white rhino is the only subspecies of rhino not classified as endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
Lifespan: Up to 40 years
Weight: Bulls 2.3 tonnes, cows 1.7 tonnes
Size: Length 3-5m, height 1.5-1.8m
Diet: Herbivore
Diet detail: Grasses
Did you know?: White rhinos have poor eyesight, but acute senses of hearing and smell.
Threats to white rhinos
The greatest threat faced by white rhinos in the wild is poaching for their horns. Other concerns include habitat loss and political conflict.
Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
Where to see our white rhinos
Our white rhinos live at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
