Story 22 of our trip oktober 8th till november 4th
(Stories are random through the trip, not following a day to day trip report)
Story 22 – Story narrated by Robert De NhiroAfter 21 stories about many different animals / species it is time to focus on a special one, Rhino !
Together with the Crocodiles they are the only animals with prehistoric looks, like they never changed from many many thousands of years ago. Next to the Big Tuskers I really like these animals a lot. Always looking forward to see them and always taking all the time to look at them. Sometimes , while watching them and people stop next to you asking where you are looking at and you say rhino…they say ohhhh and move one. This happens often, specially in areas where you can see them more often then other areas in Kruger. Anyway, when I look at them I always have to think about the fact that we all must be very bery happy that we still CAN look at them. Not too many years ago they were almost gone , just a small number left and by initiatives of a some people protection begun. At the same time poaching is still a big big problem. It is 2011 and still a number of people (men) in this weird world think that rhino horn does make make the MORE men. Incredible but true.
I do have many respect for the anti-poaching organizations to protect these wonderful animals and was really happy to make a small contribution to the auction for raising money to help this organization. A number of people related to Sanparks forums did a very good job to organize this fund raising.
I normally do not spend too much attention to these things in my TR but this is just from the heart.
Based on this I like to present Robert De Nhiro !! to you as a salut to the Rhino’s in Kruger and other areas.
So, Robert De Nhiro (Pumbaa, now you know why it is Nhiro and not Niro
) is taking over from here and he will guide you to the different encounters with him and other Rhino.
Heyyyyyy, I have been asked to guide you through Kruger to see some different memebers of my family and friends and even some other guys who are really my friend.
My name is Robert De Nhiro. My mother liked the actor a lot and decided to give me that name in the rhino version.
Well I am proud of this name and my girlfriends like it too saying that I am a very handsome guy.
May you are curious now and like to see me ? This is me
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I am married and have a child. It is my pleasure to show you my family.
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You understand that I can’t leave my family alone to take you through my homeland Kruger so I am guiding you around by pictures I got by Rhino_Book. I heard you have something similar, called Facebook.
First I take you to the S28 area near Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie
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Allthough I think that many of you have seen rhino in the wild or other places, it is my honour to tell you a bit more about us during this story.
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About our “behaviour” We, the white rhino have a very complex social structure compared to other rhino species. We are mild and inoffensive personalities compared to the black rhino. We are very curious and tend to move away from conflict rather than confront it with attack. Sometimes a mock charge will take place to scare off intruders. Most of you view us as a slow lumbering animal, however, we can turn 180 degrees at the blink of an eye and when necessary can run remarkably fast, but not for long periods of time. We can also throw our head up from the normal grazing position very quickly. The mass of our powerful muscles forming the hump above our shoulders allows us for this quick movements.
If we are in a larger group and being alarmed, we stand with our behinds together in a circle so that our heads point outward in all directions. Like this.
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Isn’t it nice to learn something from a Rhino ?
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We are moving now to Satara area and as a story within a story I take you with me for a 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5 (rhino day) journey.
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Starting the day I met one of my friends living close to us. (1)
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Following the road to the S37 two family members came along so I stop for a moment to have a chat with them. (2)
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I continue and along the S37 I run into another family. (3)
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Glad to see an increasing number of rhino’s. It is really fun to meet them near waterholes with lots of mud . It is good for our skin and it cools down with the heath sometimes. Believe it or not but now I see another family nearby. Let’s have a look at them before I go back to Satara.
This time 4 members together. (4)
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Getting close to Girivana waterhole and incedible but that makes 5 rhino’s together. It is hot today so they are here for a drink (looking at the time it is close to happy hour)
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A good moment to go back to my wife and child now, so see you tomorrow morning for more….
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Next morning.
Good morning all. Morning is best time to learn something so next rhino lesson.
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About Water, Mud and ParasitesWe are dependent on water and drink up to (80 liters) of water a day. We have no sweat glands, so to cool off we like to wallow in mud if available and drink water to replenish our body's natural losses. Given the chance, we will drink twice a day, but if necessary we can go 4 or 5 days without visiting a waterhole in the wild. We depend on the waterholes for wallowing and coating our skin in mud which helps to keep the skin cool (regulating body temperature) and dried on mud protects us from biting flies and parasites, like ticks. Even though we have very thick skin, the blood vessels are just below the thin outer layer of skin so flies and skin parasites can be very irritating to us.
Before we enter a mud wallow, we use our horn, snout and front feet to stir it up. If the mud is too thick, we leave that wallow and look for another one that is more suitable. Wallowing will last up to several hours depending on the air temperature. We are not comfortable in deep water and seem to prefer either the edge of a deep pan or else a shallow pan that is between 12 - 23 inches (30 - 60cm) deep. If we use the edge of a deep pan, which serves to increase the overall size of the pan benefiting many species. The larger the pan gets, the more wildlife will take advantage of it. Terrapins live in many of the pans and are very useful in biting ticks off the rhino's skin. It is amazing to watch as we dodge our rolling body as they dine. Wallows serve as a social gathering place and we share the wallow experience with other animals such as buffalo and warthogs, seldom showing aggression. We usually visit wallows in the late afternoon or evening when it is cooler and we tend to wallow more during times of warmer weather. We also like to rub ourselves on trees and boulders to help remove external parasites. In Kruger a particular log or boulder might serve as a favorite rubbing post and will be worn smooth and shiny with repeated use. Oxpeckers, small birds, are often seen removing ticks from the our skin and also are important in warning us of approaching danger. Sometimes, however, oxpeckers can become an irritation to us if they pick in open sores not allowing us to heal over.
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I like to show you some muddy impressions of us , hmmmm looking at them makes me
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Hoping you are still interested about us I like to tell you a bit more about:
Reproduction and Growth: Males like me become sexually mature at about 7 to 8 years old, but are prevented from breeding until we can claim our first territory or attain dominant status at about 10 years of age.
The females are sexually mature at 7 years of age; males take longer, becoming mature at the age of 10 to12 years. Mating can occur at any time during the year, but tends to be higher during the rainy season, which results in babies being born during the early part of the dry season. Rhinos are promiscuous, rarely forming even a semi permanent pair. The gestation period is about 16 months, when usually one young is born. A second birth may occur as early as 22 months later, but usually the next birth is between 2 and 4 years later. When a female is about to give birth, she will drive away her previous offspring; the usual age for the offspring at this time is 2 to 3 years of age. This is when temporary groups form.
A rhino calf, like my baby, is relatively small at birth, weighing approximately 65kg. If a female is associating with a particular group, she will separate herself from them to give birth. Born throughout the year, they will begin nibbling on grass at about 3 months old, however the baby will nurse more than one year. At the time of birth, preceding the production of true milk by the mother, she produces colostrum or foremilk for the babys first feeding. It contains essential antibodies and minerals that are necessary to give the baby a strong immune system..
By the time the baby is 3 days old it can walk with its mother. Mother rhinos are very protective of their young. In the wild, white rhino calves usually run in front of the mother, whereas black rhino calves usually trot behind their mothers. This behavior is a function of the different types of habitat in which they live. In wide open grasslands the white rhino mother can better offer protection for her calf against feline predators if the baby is in front of her, versus closed in woodlands where black rhino mothers must forge the trail and protect the baby against surprise ambushes.
We can live up to 45 years.
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Here a mother with a baby and like I told you the baby is walking in front of the mother
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Like you we also like to sleep , specially on hot days protecting ouselves from the burning sun we like to dream away. Best time to see us is early morning and late afternoon.
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Walking around with you I found some along the roads dreaming about beautiful girls and fresh juicy grass. If you look at them they are like rocks so from now on have a better look and do not assume you just see rocks.
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And a sleeping mother with her baby
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What a bout a last lesson ? Our range 10-25 sq km, however that may double up to 50sq km if population density is low. Female ranges will greatly overlap and they show no signs of being territorial. When female white rhinos meet, perhaps at a watering hole, they will greet each other with nose to nose touching and sometimes they will rub their horns together. Subadults will also greet adult females, other subadults and calves with the nose to nose touching also.
Adults tend to be solitary, except for the adult mother with her most recent offspring. As long as we are not yet mature sometimes we join up in pairs or form temporary groups which may number up to 14 at a time. Sometimes an adult female with a calf will allow an adolescent to join the two of them, seldom the female is the mother of the joining adolescent. Adult white rhino females, who do not have calves, are often quite tolerant of younger animals associating with them.
We, dominant males, live in clearly defined territories that we vigorously defend against other neighboring males. The territorial boundaries are often coincidental to features in the landscape such as water features, large rocks, etc. We mark our home ranges with urine. We spray the urine backwards with great force and control, yet it is a relatively fine spray which will cover the bushes or grass in the area with small white droplets. Subordinate bulls are tolerated in a dominant males territory as long as they remain submissive.
The spoor of the us is larger than that of the black rhino. Our dung, which is similar in texture and size to that of an elephant, is deposited in large heaps, known as middens and they are used to mark territorial boundaries.
We make noises that vary from puffing sounds, snorts, a deep but quiet roar (not like a lion), squeals and shrieks. We emit high pitched squeal when trying to keep an estrus cow from leaving our territory. Snorts, honks and roars are used to maintain spacing between animals. Loud shrieks are used defensively and the squeak-pant is made by us chasing away other rhinos. When courtship occurs we make a soft hiccup-panting sound. Our noises are generally only heard in the wild when there is no human disturbance.
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So before I will end this tour with you some more impressions of my friends
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Thank you Robert De Nhiro. It was a great pleasure to be with you on this tour. I hope we all understand a bit more of you and you know… next time I will recognize the things you told us about you and your family and friends. I really hope that people not just stop for a second saying…ohhhhh another rhino…but realize that you are special too like all others in our beloved Kruger
Thanks for joining and hope you like this story, for me it was pleasure again to write it.
Next story will be about ….. ehhhh…ehhhhh… another rare animal ?
My Wildlife Photography Sitehttp://www.awv-photography.com
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, a coffee or a glass of wine and listen with us what Rock has to say. 
