Kenya, A Shades of Gray Safari
Part 2, Rhinos of Solio
As stated in Part One (Elephants), this photo safari focused on the 2 largest land mammals in the world, elephants & rhinos; both being “shades of gray”.
This safari, led by world famous wildlife photographer Marsel van Oosten and his videographer wife, Daniella Sibbing of https://www.squiver.com provided the most exceptional ground level photographic opportunities imaginable for elephants and rhinos.
Grazing White rhino surrounded by feeding wattled starlings.
The name White rhino is actually derived from the Afrikaans word “wyd” which means “wide”; describing the shape of the rhino’s mouth. Early English settlers misinterpreted the word “wyd” for “white”.
It’s all about the HORNS!
The rhinos in Solio Game Reserve are well protected. As such, the practice of cutting off horns as a deterrent to poaching is NOT practiced here. Sadly in much of Africa, it is hard to find a rhino with an intact horn.
The good news
Rhino numbers are increasing
The estimated population of African rhinos was just above 23,000 in 2023, a 2.4% increase from 2022. This is attributed to protection and biological management initiatives.
The bad news
Poaching continues to be a significant problem.
Kenya only reported one poached rhino in 2022. However, South Africa is home to more rhinos than any other country in Africa. In 2023 , 499 rhinos were poached there. In neighboring Namibia, 67 rhinos were poached.
The highest demand for rhino horn comes from Asia, primarily China and Vietnam. Rhino horn, comprised of keratin, the same material which makes up our nails has been used for medicinal purposes despite any scientific evidence of efficacy. It also has been used as a sign of high social stature.
Rhino scratching post
Big lips, Bigger horn
For these images (above & below), I used a camera mounted on a mini tripod. The camera was controlled by a radio controlled remote shutter triggering device. The rhino approached to within inches of my ground camera. The cartoon-like distortions of this rhino were created by using an ultra wide angle 16 mm lens
Rhino duo captured with a wide angle 16 mm lens on a ground mounted camera with a remote triggering device
Sparring rhinos- of the 5 species of rhinos (2 African and 3 Asian), white rhinos are more social. While it is not unusual to find solitary white rhinos, they also may be seen in groups of up to 15. While generally fairly docile, males can be very territorial especially when competing for females.
Little Bighorn
Rhino mom and calf. The calf sports a little “baby bump” of a horn. Gestation period is about 16 months and rhino calves stay with Mom until about 2-3 yrs of age.
Black rhino mom and calf motion blur
Black rhinos are more shy and tend to be more aggressive than white rhinos. They are readily distinguished from White rhinos by the shape of their upper lip. Black rhinos are browsers and have a prehensile, hooked upper lip adapted for grasping and plucking leaves from bushes and trees. White rhinos have a wide upper lip used for grazing and mowing down grass.
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Stay focused
Rick