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This little video shows you an amazing encounter that we had with Black rhino's in Krugerpark.

The only time I have ever seen black rhino in Kruger was in the game capture bomas at Skukuza.

However on a single day in the Ngorongoro crater I saw 4 of them and all of them were eating grass!

Has anybody heard of such grass eating behaviour amongst b rhinos before? These rhinos were definately black as there are no white rhinos in the crater.

The reason why Black Rhino eat Grass in Ngorongoro Crater is simple.
Where they occur in places like Addo/Etosha/Kruger/even Karoo Nat Park/Natal Parks etc there are huge thorn tree thickets for them to hide in and browse.
In the crater the vegetation type is 99.75% Grass ...I can vaguely remember 1 or 2 solitary High trees very widely scattered from each other.
Rhinos have to eat and grass it is...another example of Natures adaptation and where text books don't always get it right.
We learnt this fact that Blackie's also graze when I attended the Wilderness Leadership School as a teenager, maybe they should include the same module in HR training now that Black Rhino are increasing in SANParks??

Thanks for the heads up chaps:

Here are the photos of the black rhino I saw Saturday 9 August 2008.

Could someone please confirm whether or not this is a black rhino, as we were quite sure at the time, but the photos are not crystal clear as to the lip configuration. Taken in Kruger Aug. 31, 2008. Thanks!

Definitely a Blackie imo.

Just by judging the length of the neck and the general wear and tear on this specimen due to habitat diff. The name white originated from wide mouth rhino, your photo shows a more rounded mouth.

Just returned from a trip to Kruger.
And saw two very relaxed Black Rhino on two consecutive days.
It was a first for me to see them in Kruger

MJ, the guide at Lower Sabie, saw them 7 times in 5 days, so chances are that they will be seen again in the future.
Our first sighting of them was at about Midday and they were "Arguing" over a piece of shade under a tree not 50m from the road.
The obviously dominant one chased the other away, lay down and fell asleep.
The second one waited a while, and then moved in just behind the first one and lay right next to it in the shade.
It looked like they were cuddling

The next day, we saw them pretty much in the same spot, just out in the open (also sleeping) as it was fairly early and not too hot yet.

Anyway, I was really happy with the sightings and I hope some of you going in the near future will see these two.

No....the lip is just one diiference
White Rhino: square lip, it's a grazer, it's young always walk in front of them, when fully grown they are larger and heavier than their black cousin, tend to be less agressive, much more common. Furthermore there are also differences with regard to their debris (different food)

Black Rhino: hooked lip, it's a browser (eats mainly leaves), it's young always walk behind them, smaller than their cousin, can become very agressive/protective, quite elusive, not very common.

Here are the three (look at lip)





Don't blame me, I didn't take the pics myself (Was there, but no camera with me )

This morning just before Malelane.

They also approached the car and eventually crossed the road!

Mother and old calf!









The calf charged the egret, with little effect!

I've been going to the Kruger Park for 15 years and on my trip in Nov 2008 managed to photograph a Black Rhino and calf.
I see White Rhino by the dozen, but it is the first time I have seen a Rhino and identified it as a Black one.
The mother had a wound on her left side.
Anyone got any idea how this came about.
The wound seemed to be healing o/k.
I don't seem to be able to put a picture with this message.
Perhaps someone could give me a few clues.

Welcome to the forums bondm!

In december i also was fortunate enough to see my first black rhinos i kruger The wound that you saw is characteristic of black rhino and is caused by a parasitic worm of which a fly is the vector. The worm then causes a haemorrhagic type wound which often bleeds alot. Almost every black rhino is affected by it .

We also saw a black rhino in June 2008 which also had a wound on its flank.
I was also worried that it was a wound caused by fighting etc, but also learnt it was due to the parasite.
I have attached our pic of the rhino, and tried to enlarge the wound (quality not great, it was just after 05h30 in the morning, light not great) so that you can compare how it looks to the wound on your blackie.

Hi all you readers and viewers. Here is the picture of the Black Rhino and calf - I hope

Yippee! Success. Thanks for that. (Dead easy when you know how)

Sorry to change the subject of the amazing pics but with regards to the parasite, what affects does it have on the rhino ? Apart from leaving nasty wounds.