White rhino hunts in South Africa. Hunt white rhino with South African Hunting Safaris.

White Rhinoceros
(Ceratotherium simum)

White rhino prefer to live in open woodland with nearby open grassland, thick brush, and water. White rhinos prefer flat lands and can occasionally be found in swampy regions.

Male white rhino weigh up to 3,600kg, and stand up to 1.8 metres tall at the shoulder. This makes white rhinos among the largest living land animals. They are usually light grey to dark yellow. They have very little hair, with a small amount being found on the tips of their tails and ears and intermittently scattered on their bodies. They have two horns; the front horn is longer and often attains a length of 150 cm. The head is very long and there may be a large hump on the neck.

Males are larger than females.

Breeding occurs throughout the year with two peak periods in summer and autumn. During breeding, the dominant, usually solitary, males stay with a receptive female from 1-3 weeks. During this courtship, the pair often chases, clash horns, and vocalize with each other. After mating, the female leaves the bull's territory.

White rhinos are believed to have the most complex behaviour of all the rhinoceroses. Home ranges vary in size, depending on resources and region, from .75-8 sq. km. Rhinos spend almost their entire lives within their home range. Groups of as many as 14 rhinos have been observed but smaller groups are more common. Dominant bulls are usually solitary and will confront any invading bull. Fights are rare and confrontations usually consist of slight horn butting, false charges, and other displays. Bulls tolerate females and sub-adult males in their territory. They mark their territories by spreading dung, spraying urine, dragging their feet, and damaging plants with their horns. White rhino often mud bathes to cool off and remove parasites.

White rhinos are grazers, feeding on grasses that they crop with their wide front lip. Their short legs, long head reaching almost to the ground, and wide mouth are used in combination with a side to side head movement to eat massive quantities of grass.