Rhinoceros

There are two species, the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros. The white rhinoceros' name comes from the African word "weit", meaning wide mouthed. They are sedentary animals and graze for food. The white rhinoceros is larger than the black, weighing between two and half and five and a half tons. After the elephant, it is the largest of land animals. It is a social animal, living in families of two to five. White rhinos have been introduced into Meru National Park.

The black rhinoceros is the smaller species, weighing only one to one and a half tons. The black rhino is more of a browser for food, found in areas from savannah to mountain forests. The front horns measure up to three feet, and the rear horn can be up to two feet. The value of these horns on the black market has led to the rhinoceros' near extinction from poaching. Black rhinos are found in Amboseli, the Aberdares, Maasai Mara, Mount Kenya, Nairobi National Park, Samburu, and Tsavo.

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