Black Rhinoceros

As we are so aware, the Black Rhino is critically endangered, with 3 sub species having been declared extinct, the most recent in 2011.

Black rhinos are generally thought to be solitary, with the only strong bond between a mother and her calf. For me, they are particularly associated with Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve (shown here on the map in the painting), where we always had our “rhino cards” to get in and spend the day in the reserve. If we spotted a lone rhino from the back seat, we were quick to observe their lips, (telling each other “White rhinos are grazers; black rhinos are browsers!”). And if it was hooked, feeling lucky enough to observe a magnificent black rhino in the wild, something we hope will still be possible for many generations of kids on the back seat to come.

Diceros bicornis

Original artwork: available