Title: Rhino At The Royal Burgers Zoo
Resolution: 3840 x 2160

The above image captures the great rhinoceros at the Royal Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands. They have a 1.5 to 5 cm thick protective skin that comprises of layers of collagen placed in a lattice structure. They have a very small brain (400 – 600 g) for their huge size and have a large horn. These massive creatures have a herbivorous diet, so they mostly consume leafy materials and ferment it in their hindgut to produce more fibrous plant matter. When under the harsh African sun, they protect themselves by lying in the shade, wallowing in waterholes or rolling in the mud to cover their skin with natural sunblock and bug repellant. They have keen hearing and a sharp sense of smell that allows them to follow each other’s scent on the vast landscape. These beings are driven by their survival instinct, which means that they will charge whenever they smell something unfamiliar. Although, their eyesight can sometimes fail them as they would mistakenly charge inanimate objects like rocks and trees.

Early Europeans first portrayed them in cave paintings revealing their wanderings all throughout Africa and Eurasia. Back then, they were spread out across the tropical forests of Asia and the savannas of Africa. However, there are extremely few rhinos that survive today outside reserves and national parks. In Asia, Sumatran and Javan species are now considered as Critically Endangered because of continuous illegal poaching. Mankind hunts them down to get a piece of the prominent horn. Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China use it for medicinal purposes, while Middle East and North Africa use it as a handle for their ornamental dagger.