Mammal
The white rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum
The white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, is one of the two African species of rhinoceros which itself has two sub-species, the northern white rhinoceros (DRC and Central Africa) and the southern white rhinoceros (South Africa).
Distinctive features
Unlike some of their Asian cousins, African rhinos have two horns. Many legends attribute erotic virtues to these simple protuberances of keratin, no doubt due to the sexual performance of rhinos, whose coitus can last a whole hour and be repeated many times a day. The white rhinoceros can be distinguished from the black rhinoceros by its broad, square lip.
The white rhinoceros: an endangered species
There are two subspecies of white rhino in Africa, the southern and the northern, which is almost extinct in the wild. Every year, the number of white rhinos falling victim to poaching increases. White rhinos came close to extinction in the 1980s, before South Africa initiated a policy to save the species. Since then, reintroduction programmes have been carried out in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Today, the fight against the illegal trade in horns is intensifying. Many legends attribute aphrodisiac and medicinal virtues to these simple protuberances of keratin.
Rhinocéros blanc au Parc Zoologique de Paris
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