Endangered Black Rhinoceros • Fun Facts And Information For Kids

Black rhinos have bad eyesight but they have excellent hearing.

They can swivel their cone shaped ears to pick up on the tiniest of sounds. They also have a strong sense of smell and this is what they use most to make sense of what’s around them.

They usually live between 35 and 50 years, and most black rhinos live in East Africa, in Tanzania.

We have four black rhino at Folly Farm. They live in our Kifaru Reserve enclosure. They love rolling in the mud and charging around.

Conservation

The Eastern black rhino is at serious risk of becoming extinct. The primary threat to any rhino is poaching, or being killed, for their horns. South Africa is particularly targeted with over 1000 rhinos killed annually between 2013 and 2017.

Rhino horn is used in traditional Asian medicine where it is believed to have medicinal value for a wide range of illnesses including fever or pain. Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same stuff as our fingernails or hair – so it has no medicinal value, at all.

Conservationists across the world are helping to combat the trade of rhino horn and protect the wild rhinos. At Folly Farm we help to fundraise for UK based charity, Helping Rhinos. (link to conservation partners).

Our black rhinos are part of the European Breeding Programme. We have welcomed two precious calves to the world. The first male calf was born in January 2020, with our second born in November 2025, also a male.

How can you help?

Never purchase illegal wild animal products or body-parts when travelling abroad.

Support our conservation partner Helping Rhinos, who deliver innovative long-term conservation programmes supporting rhinos in the wild.

Fun facts about rhinos

• Rhinoceros is a Greek word. ‘Rhino’ means ‘nose’ and ‘ceros’ means ‘horn’.
• Black rhinos have a ‘prehensile’, meaning hooked, lip for pulling leaves off branches.
• Rhinos run on their toes. That’s a lot of weight to carry!
• As the saying goes, rhinos do have thick skin, but they can still get sun burnt.
• Black rhinos are the third biggest of the five types of rhino.
• Black rhinos love eating plants. Up to 220 different types!