The rhino stands alert, staring into the distance to make sure there is no other male rhino around him. Striding slowly past the trees and termite mounds, he approaches his midden and lets out his dung. He is vigilant, for his territory must be guarded, and nobody can enter his space. Once he finishes passing out his faeces, he steps into it and it sticks onto his broad feet. And then, he moves out to mark his territory.
He walks around the pool of mud, and claims the grounds as his. Nobody can enter this pool. If they do, then they face his power and weight with a battle of the horns. Blood for blood. Flesh for flesh. Life for Life.
Soon after his territory is marked, he steps into his pool of mud; it’s time to cool off. He rolls in the mud, playing around, just letting go of all things, until he senses something; somebody is in his domain. He gets up quickly, and looks around, until he tracks the animal’s scents, and sees it in the far corner of his area. He first honks out loud, and sneezes. And then, without thinking, he charges. He runs at the animal blindly, ready for a kill, but it’s his bad day. The animal bolts off quick, but the rhino made a mistake. His burst of anger gets back at him, as he runs smack into a tree. He was provoked, but he was also perturbed.
He goes back to cool off. He’s had enough for a day.
Photo credits - @ketul0128
5 facts about the rhino:
Scientific name is Diceros bicornis.
They have a sharp sense of smell and hearing.
Rhino horns grow as much as 3 inches per year.
They weigh between 1760 to 3080 pounds. (800 to 1400 kg)
Black and white rhinos are actually grey. The only way to tell the difference is by seeing the shape of their lips.