Rhino facts: Everything you need to know

As keystone species and mega-herbivores, rhinos are environmental engineers within their habitats. Rhinos in Africa, for example, create and maintain water holes by rolling in the mud that serve as water sources for many other animals. Rhinos also spread more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of dung every day, fertilising plants and dispersing seeds to create food for other herbivores. 

Through their movement and eating habits, rhinos also shape their habitat in other ways. As Sumatran rhinos move through the forest, they create small clearings, allowing plant species to grow and giving other wildlife easier access to food sources. In Africa, white rhinos eat over 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of vegetation every day. By keeping the grass short, they support plant species and wildlife that couldn’t survive in long grass. 

Rhinos are an essential part of their ecosystems. But with many rhino species considered vulnerable or critically endangered, these animals need our help. Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and climate change all threaten the survival of these majestic mammals. So, IFAW is working hard with partners around the world to reduce human-wildlife conflict, restore habitats, and prevent poachers from killing rhinos and stealing their horns. 

1. How many species of rhino are there? 

There are currently five species of rhinos in the world: 

• White rhino (Ceratotherium simum) 
• Black rhino (Diceros bicornis) 
• Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), also known as the Indian rhino 
• Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) 
• Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) 

Despite their names, all rhinos—including the black rhino and the white rhino—have grey or brown skin. You can tell the different species apart by their size and the number of horns they have. 

Black and white rhinos also have different lip shapes. Black rhinos have a pointed upper lip, which they use to pluck leaves and fruit from branches, while white rhinos have a squared lip, which helps them to graze on grasses. 

Of the five species, white rhinos are the largest. They weigh 2,000 to 4,000 kilograms (4,400 to 5,300 pounds) and are the fourth largest land mammals on Earth, after the three species of elephants. 

2. Where do rhinos live? 

Two rhino species live in Africa (the white rhino and the black rhino) and three live in Asia (the greater one-horned rhino, Sumatran rhino, and Javan rhino). 

White rhinos live in the grasslands, shrublands, and savannahs of Africa. The southern white rhino is a subspecies found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. There are only two critically endangered northern white rhinos left but, historically, this subspecies lived in northern African countries. 

Black rhinos live in a range of habitats. They can be found in semi-desert savannahs, forests, woodlands, and wetlands. They live in small areas of Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. They have also been reintroduced to Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia. 

Sumatran rhinos live in Borneo and Sumatra, in dense forests and marshes. Javan rhinos can also be found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, as well as the island of Java, India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. 

The greater one-horned rhino used to roam the grasslands of northern India and Nepal. Most now live in reserves within these countries. 

Most rhinos are solitary. However, the white rhino lives in groups of up to ten that usually consist of a female and her calves or adult females.   

Fun fact: Rhinos once lived in Europe, and early Europeans depicted rhinos in cave paintings. 

3. What do rhinos eat? 

4. Are rhino horns made from the same material as elephant tusks?

Rhino horns are made of keratin, a fibrous protein found in hair, fingernails, scales, and other parts of vertebrate animals. Elephant tusks are made of ivory, which consists of dentine, a calcified body tissue also found in human teeth. 

Like fingernails, horns grow continuously throughout a rhino’s life and can be trimmed without causing pain. White, black, and Sumatran rhinos have two horns—a small horn in the back and a much larger one in the front. Javan and Indian rhinos each only have one horn. 

5. What do rhinos use their horns for? 

Male rhinos, especially the African species, use their horns as a show of strength and to express dominance. Those with the largest horns are seen as desirable mates by females. When presiding over his territory, a dominant male rhino will scare off other males by lowering his head and charging them with his horn.  

Rhinos can also use their horns to dig for food and unearth small plants with edible roots. The white rhino will do this when conditions are dry and there isn’t enough grass to eat.  

Male rhinos also sometimes use their horns to move their dung into a pile, known as a midden, to mark their territory. 

6. Are rhinos aggressive? 

Rhinos can be protective of their young, but they are rarely aggressive if unprovoked. Rhinos prefer to roam unhindered and undisturbed. However, if they perceive a threat, they may defend themselves by charging. Female rhinos are often very protective of their calves, which means they are dangerous to encounter in the wild.  

7. What is a baby rhino called? 

A young rhino is called a calf, while an adult female is known as a cow and a male is a bull. Together, a group of rhinos is called a ‘crash’. 

Female rhinos can have calves once they are six years old. They give birth to one calf at a time and are pregnant for 16 months. Calves will stay with their mothers for up to four years. After the birth of a calf, a female won’t get pregnant again for another two to four years. In the wild, rhinos live for around 40 to 55 years. 

A notable difference between black and white rhinos is apparent when a calf is present. If threatened, black rhino calves follow their mothers closely. This is due to their habitat preference—they spend a significant amount of time in thick bush, through which the mother clears a path. White rhino calves, on the other hand, tend to stand in front of their mothers if threatened. This is because they live mostly in plains—staying in front of their mother means she can keep a close eye on them. 

8. How much do baby rhinos weigh? 

9. Do rhinos have predators? 

When rhinos are young, they are vulnerable to predators like crocodiles, big cats, and wild dogs. Adult rhinos have very few wild predators, but Nile crocodiles will sometimes try to attack rhinos while they are drinking. 

Humans are the most dangerous predator to rhinos—poaching and habitat destruction have endangered many rhino populations. 

Rhinos have a natural predator alarm: Oxpecker birds often perch on rhinos’ backs to eat parasitic insects that live in their thick skin. These birds let out a loud cry if they spot potential danger, which also lets the rhinos know that danger could be nearby. 

10. Are rhinos endangered? 

Rhinos are endangered by poaching and habitat loss. 

Some people falsely believe that rhino horns have medicinal powers to cure different ailments. Horns are also used as a hangover cure and party drug. This demand drives an illegal market for rhino horns, which in turn leads to poaching. In Africa, poaching gangs travel by helicopter, searching for rhinos. They then shoot them with guns or tranquiliser darts and remove their horns with chainsaws. 

Habitat loss is another major problem for rhinos. As human populations, urban areas, and the supporting infrastructure grow, more rhino habitat is lost. This affects their access to food, health, and reproduction habits as they no longer have the space to roam and mate. 

All rhinos face these issues. But some threats are specific to each species. For example, Sumatran rhinos are threatened by palm oil production, which is a significant driver of habitat loss. 

Javan rhinos are threatened by a disease called haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS), which they caught when a population of Javan rhinos was introduced to Ujung Kulon National Park. Invasive plants are also crowding out the plants that Javan rhinos eat. 

11. How many rhinos are left? 

Here are the population numbers for each rhino species in 2024: 

• White rhinos are classed as near threatened, with around 10,080 mature individuals remaining and a decreasing population. One subspecies, the northern white rhino, has only two individuals remaining, both of which are female (the last male died in 2018). 
• Greater one-horned rhinos are classed as vulnerable, with around 2,100 mature individuals remaining but an increasing population. 
• Black rhinos are critically endangered with around 3,124 mature individuals remaining. 
• Sumatran rhinos are critically endangered with around 30 mature individuals remaining and a decreasing population. 
• Javan rhinos are critically endangered, with around 18 mature individuals left in the wild and a stable population. 

What is IFAW doing to help rhinos? 

IFAW is working to protect rhinos around the world.  

With our partner Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), we rescue and rehabilitate rhino calves near Kaziranga National Park, who are often impacted by flooding. The team releases the rhinos into Manas National Park to restore their population in this area. We’ve also worked with WTI to restore the landscape and expand protections for the land. Conservation efforts have brought Indian rhino numbers in Manas from just 200 to 3,500. 

In addition, we support rangers who work to protect rhinos in Zambia, Malawi, and Kenya. Rangers help prevent wildlife crime and human-wildlife conflict, both issues that impact rhino populations. 

At a policy and advocacy level, we work to reduce demand for rhino horn products and ensure markets remain closed. Through the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, we work with online marketplaces to take down listings of illegal wildlife products.