The white rhino is quite possibly the biggest pure grazer that ever lived, a kind of modern day dinosaur if you like. It has a huge barrel shaped body carried on wide, stumpy legs with a thick, hairless hide and apparently exposed ribs that give it the appearance of both obesity and starvation at the same time. Its low small eyes, high trumpet-shaped ears and strangely dainty feet, make it both unmistakable and totally unfamiliar, something that I think makes them hard for people to relate to. Putting their looks aside however, there is a behaviour that they exhibit that makes them incredibly endearing even to the most cynical human. What is this you may ask? Well the fact that they are incredibly adept at the practice of adoption.
A female white rhino wallows with her young calf. This calf is still well under a year of age but is already learning from and imitating its mother’s behaviour. Despite growing to round two tonnes as adults, babies are only about 50kg at birth and are incredibly reliant on their mother for safety in the early years.
When rhino calves leave their mothers between two and four years old, it is not because they want to. As the female starts to come into estrus again, males are able to smell this in her urine and she begins to receive a lot of attention. During this period, males can become quite aggressive or boisterous making it an unsafe time for the youngster. Even if the calf doesn’t leave the mother during this mating period, it will eventually be forced out with the arrival of the latest calf, as the female has to focus her energy and attention on raising this new vulnerable baby. So what does this three-year-old rhino do when it finds itself all alone in the wilderness?
A white rhino calf attempts to graze like its mother, learning to control its giant lawn mower-like lips. It will however still get most of its nourishment from its mother’s milk and suckles for the first year of its life.
You can imagine that still being quite young and alone in the big bad world would be quite a daunting experience and so young rhinos do the obvious thing. They seek out the company of other more experienced and confident rhinos. A few youngsters may band together creating a crash of similar ages but more often than not, a youngster will find another female and attach itself to her and her baby.
A crash of rhino enjoy an afternoon wallow and drink at a waterhole. This is a group of youngsters of various ages and sexes who have grouped together for company and safety. As the bulls reach sexual maturity they will wander off on their own to establish a territory and females will begin to be accompanied by their calf as well as any other young rhinos who choose to tag along with her.
This is totally acceptable to the adult female, who doesn’t have to feed or directly care for the youngster. All she has to do is allow it to tag along with her little family. The youngster will eat when she does, drink where she does and find shelter where she thinks is best. In so doing, it will become more adept at learning to care for itself and will become more confident to stray away from this safety blanket as it gets older.
Despite appearances, white rhinos make incredibly good mothers. They patiently graze as their babies take a rest, teach them which are the best water holes to drink and wallow at and guide them with their horn as they run from danger. What is even more incredible is that they allow other female’s youngsters to follow and be protected by them as well.
So despite this behemoths ungainly appearance, it seems there is something quite special we can learn from this prehistoric beast. Londolozi is the Zulu word for “the protector of all living things”and it seems rhino have the same deep appreciation of this principle. While they are wild animals, preoccupied with basic survival, they are still prepared to provide sanctity to the younger generations of their species even if they are not their own. So remember that despite their armoured, hardcore appearance, these animals do have a softer side. Again this serves as a reminder that appearances can be deceiving – scratch beneath the surface and you’ll be amazed at what you will find.
Which mothers in the animal kingdom do you believe make the best moms? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Written by: Amy Attenborough, Londolozi Game Ranger
Great blog Amy. Interesting rhino facts. Just love these highly endangered animals.
Interesting Read Amy….sure wish I was there this July too! Thanks for keeping it “fresh’ for me!
Oh wow what a fantastic mom she is! That is why Rhino’s NEED their horns so should be left alone. Thank you so much for the info & stunning pictures/video Amy. I hope all those beauties will be safe <3
I think that the best moms are the elephants. Amy, will you be there at Londolozi at the beginning of June. I would love to meet you.
Hi Barb. Thank you, I’d love to meet you too and yes I will be here then. What dates will you be here?
I thank you from my heart for this blog. Amy, I have a tattoo of an Indian rhino on my ankle so I carry them with me always. Each time I have returned to Londolozi, my soul is renewed while in the presence of these magical creatures.
Thank you Amy for such a warm and informative artic l e. I appreciate the opportunity to learn so much from you.
Very well-written and informative article. Thanks Amy for putting this together.
A lovely article, Amy. I especially love the photo of the young calf learning to control his mouth – the picture really captured a fascinating and amusing expression.
Amy – this is a super article and a completely new concept for me – the fostering of young in the wild. Thanks for making us aware and I would love to know which animal would be the best Mum – can you tell us? Or shall we just wait to learn for ourselves?
Hi Jenny. Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. Sadly there is no simple answer to your question. All the mothers out here take care of their young in their own special way. And that even includes the African Rock Python. I think sometimes its just easier for us to see it in animals such as elephants or leopards because they care for their young in a way that we recognise.
Amy – great article! Thank you