Black Rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis

One of the Minnesota Zoo’s conservation biologists works with local people in the African country of Namibia to save the region’s black rhinos.

Where They Live:
Black rhinos live in small populations scattered across southern and eastern Africa.

What They Eat:
Black rhinos are browsers, which means they eat mostly trees and bushes. They use their pointed lips to pluck leaves and fruit from the branches.

Test Your Knowledge! (answers below)

  1. 1. How large can a black rhino horn grow to be?
    • a. Six inches    b. 18 inches       c. Thee feet d. Five feet
  1. At what age does a black rhino calf begin to live on its own?
    • a. 3 years        b. 5 years       c. 10 years           d. 16 years

Answer each of the following questions with True or False:

  1. Black rhinos can weigh as much as 4000 pounds.
  2. Black rhinos typically live in large groups.
  3. Black rhinos have two horns.

Fun Fact!
Black rhinos don’t necessarily go to the bathroom at the same time, but they do tend to go to the bathroom in the same place. Black rhinos regularly visit communal dung heaps, scraping their feet in the dung and leaving a scent behind as they travel about their territory.

Black rhinos are endangered because they are hunted for their horns. Download this activity sheet about horns and antlers.

Answers