Celebrating World Rhino Day!

Today the world celebrates, world rhino day! With it comes mixed reactions and amid speculations of what will become of the rhino in the future. As stated in a past blog; Facts about the Rhino that you did not know, we already have three extinct species from the rhino family namely, Paraceratherium, Telecoeras and Woolly rhinos.  There are currently five living species, Javan, Sumatran, Greater one-horned and commonly know the White and Black rhinos. 

Numerous efforts have been put fourth and are still being done to protect the rhino, with conservation bodies such as The Lewa Conservation, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Save the Rhino to name just but a few, work tirelessly to save the rhino from poachers. This however is not an easy task with Lewa alone reporting at least four black rhinos lost from 2008 out of poaching practises!

Believes and myths about the rhino horn's medicinal and other related  prowess its said to have, are one of the reasons that drive the demand for poaching especially in Asia. Rhino horn is not medicine! Should these poaching trends continue,come the year 2021 - 2031, Rhino's may be animals known from the past.

Facts: 

1. Rhino's May look very tough, but their skin is very sensitive especially to sunburn and biting insects which is why they like to wallow in mud!  
2. Rhino's horns are made of Keratin, just like finger nails  plus they grow throughout their lifetime.
3. Rhino's life span  is placed between 35-40 years.
4. The closest rhino relationship is between a female and her calf, lasting from 2 to 4 years. As the older calves mature, they leave their mothers and may join other females and their young, where they are tolerated for some time before living completely on their own.
5. The gestation period of a rhino is 16 months.

To help in efforts to save the rhino please check out Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Lewa Conservation. Let us save the rhino!