An African rhino attack is rarely but deadly. The rhinoceros can kill buffalos, lions, and hippos as well as humans.
You’re in the African safari, when suddenly a raging rhino comes charging at you…would you know what to do?
What is it?
African rhinos come in two different species: the black rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros. These herbivorous mammals are characterized by their thick protective skins and large horns on their noses, which are highly sought after by poachers hunting for their ornamental and medicinal purposes. They can weigh as much as 6,000 pounds…that’s heavier than an industrial forklift!
Where are they located?
Both species of rhinos are found mainly in the southern and eastern parts of Africa. The black rhino lives mainly in dense, woody vegetation vs the white rhino, which lives in savannas with water holes, mud wallows, and shade trees.
How will they kill you?
The African rhinoceros ranks among the top ten deadliest animals in Africa. They’re able to run at incredibly fast speeds for their body weight and are strong enough to derail trains. So if the lethal impact of a rhino charging at you full-speed isn’t enough to kill you, then the weight of its body can easily crush you to death.
How to survive:
If you spot a rhino, keep as much distance as possible between you and the beast to prevent them from seeing you as a threat. If the rhino is already charging at you, attempting to stop it at close range is futile so your only hope is to get out of its way. If you’re in a safari vehicle, drive away as fast as possible. If you’re on foot, climb a tree. And if you can’t do that, get behind the tree as rhinos will usually avoid large obstacles when running. You can also run for scrub since they won’t follow you into thick scrub brush. Your main goal when surviving an attack is to create as much distance as possible between you and the rhinoceros, so do whatever it takes to make this happen if you want to live to see another day.
So what is a group of rhinos called?
A group of rhinos is called a crash, while a group of penguins is called a rookery and a group of coyotes is called a band.
So would you rather…be charged by an angry rhino? Or be infected by the ebola virus?
