We absolutely adore rhinos at Vanishing Species, and we’ll use any excuse to publish a rhino photo.
Take a good look at this photo. Can you see the little black bird in the bush and the Cattle Egret on the ground? It’s no coincidence that this rhino is traveling with an entourage. The black bird is a Fork-Tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), and both birds know that the rhino is grazing for food. As the huge rhino walks about and grazes, it kicks up the earth and disturbs the surrounding vegetation. This is turn flushes out all sorts of little bugs, which are quickly grabbed by the watchful birds. In return, the birds may be the first to detect any threats nearby. Everyone wins!
The White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “near threatened”.
The latest population estimate is 17,480 (December 2007)
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