The Things I've Learned...

Hmmm, the rhinoceros. How much do we know about the rhino? I would say not too much personally. It wasn't until I became a member of the WWF. No, not the World Wrestling Federation, they don't use that acronym anymore. I am a member of the World Wildlife Fund, the real WWF. Anyway, I was just reading their newsletter and I learned a few interesting tidbits about rhino's. First of all they are a very endangered animal. Most animals get this close to extinction due to loss of habitat (logging, forest clearing, pollution, etc...). The rhino's biggest worry however is poaching. You see, in some asian cultures, rhino parts are thought to be of medicinal value. For instance some believe that rhino horn is an aphrodisiac. Scientists have studied these claims and have determined that no part of a Rhino could possibly be an aphrodisiac. People choose not to believe this though and because of this, some poachers are fetching good money for miscellaneous rhino parts. In recent years though, conservation efforts have produced some exciting results and the rhino population is slowly gaining in numbers once again. Hopefully this continues and the rhino can be taken off the Endangered Species list.

Anyway, here are some interesting facts about rhino.

• Rhino's can not sweat. They cool themselves down by wallowing in mud. The mud also helps to keep ticks and other insects from bothering them.
• Rhino horns are made of keratin, just like our fingernails, and grow throughout their lifetime.
• Rhinos have poor eyesight. They do however have a very good sense of smell and very good hearing. The Rhinos nasal cavity is actually larger then its brain.
• Some Rhinos can run at speeds of up to 40mph

For more information on rhino's visit these sites:

1. WWF rhino page
2. Zoo Atlanta's rhino page