2 – KIFARU: A rhino sanctuary in Namibia.
As mentioned last time, I did not have much affinity for rhinos until I went to KIFARU and learnt that they are actually quite vulnerable.
When they are born, they can see but after a few years both black and white rhinos are almost blind and can only see some shades of grey.
As a result, they are easy prey for poachers.
To counterbalance their poor eyesight, the rhinos’ sense of Smell is very acute. They easily detect danger, find food and detect other rhinos. Their Hearing is also excellent, and their ears rotate like a radar dish to pick up sounds in all directions.
They can live to the age of 40-50 ; are herbivores and eat about 30 kg of grass/plants per day.
At KIFARU, they have a full-time lady veterinary at the farm, to take care of these endangered animals. They also feed them supplements like blocks of salt, for extra nutrients.
Now, how can you differentiate a white rhino from a black rhino:
Funny enough white / black rhinos have nothing to do with the colour.
FACIAL/MOUTH SHAPE
Black rhinos have hooked upper lips, whereas white rhinos are characterized by a square lip.
EARS:
Black rhino also have smaller, rounder ears than white rhino.
The white rhinos’ ears are larger than the black rhinos.
HORNS
The size and shape differ. The front horn of white rhino is much longer than the second one. The horns of black rhino are closer in length to one another.
Horns of male and female black rhino differ in that males often have thicker horns and females have longer, thinner ones.
- There are about 16,000 white rhinos and 5,500 black rhinos remaining in the world.
- Black rhinos are more solitary, especially males. Black rhinos have a reputation for being more aggressive and territorial than white rhinos.
- White rhinos are calmer and more sociable, with females and calves often forming small groups.
- Rhinos are said to be intelligent and emotional animals. Mostly gentle and peaceful in their behaviour, they can easily be frightened (probably because of their poor eyesight) and can be quick to charge at the source of the agitation.
So, in a nutshell, with the help of his family, Tristan’s dream to repopulate the white rhino population in Namibia (137 calves since 2013) came to reality despite the vulnerability and fragility of these rare animals, and also the high cost involved at protecting them from ill health and from poachers.
To help cover ongoing costs, the family opened a small lodge in 2019, and Tristan’s mother oversees it.
We will be visiting the lodge in our last chapter on KIFARU.
Until next time, for our visit of Kifaru Lodge.
Have a nice evening.
Kind regards.
Murielle
