When the Kruger National Park was built, it was built with the goal of conservation, conserving all the wonderful animals of the Lowveld. As the park grew in size and got more developed over time, more people started to visit the park to experience the wonders of the Lowvel. Unfortunately with visitors coming in and out on a regular basis, this opened up a window for a dark side of humanity, Poaching and illegal animal trade. Poachers travel into the park under the guise of happy and excited tourists to get close to the animals without being suspected. Unfortunately because of the influx of poachers, many animals in the park have come closer and closer to extinction. Two species in the Kruger National Park and South Africa are holding on for dear life as poaching efforts increase.
The Black Rhino and White Rhino are some of the last remaining species of rhino left in the world. These majestic and beautiful animals call the beautiful world of the Kruger National Park Home, living a pretty relaxed life in the wild. These large and powerful animals have no natural predators and no environmental threat that could endanger their lives. Rhinos mostly live solitary lives and are usually seen with their calves minding their own business. These animals can interact with other animals like impala, buffalo and zebra as these animals do not present a threat to the rhino.
In appearance the black and white rhino can be difficult to differentiate. The Black Rhino has a small head that it usually lifts up high. The Black rhino has trumpet like ears and the iconic Pointed upper lip, which distinguishes it from the White Rhino. The Black Rhino’s skin colour is partly determined by the type of soil it rolls around in day to day. The colours the Black rhino have been seen in include light grey, dark grey, faint yellow and brown. The Black rhino has a thick long forward horn and a shorter, stubbier horn behind that. The white rhino is the 3rd largest land mammal on earth but is not as aggressive as the Black Rhino. It has a larger head than the black rhino and therefore it hangs its head lower. The White Hino has a wide, square lip that distinguishes it from the Black Rhino. It gets its name from the Deutch word ‘Wyd’ which means wide. The White Rhino has a lighter colouration than the Black Rhino that can be light grey, white grey, yellow, and light Brown. The Horns of the White Rhino differ slightly from the Black rhino’s as its forward horn is longer and pointier than the Black rhino and the second horn is also slightly longer.
