The White or more properly Square-lipped Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simim) is the largest living rhinoceros species. Male White Rhinos average about 2,300 kg (5,070 lb) and the smaller females weigh around 1,700 kg (3,750 lb).

The name White Rhinoceros is probably a corruption of the Dutch word for ‘wide’ – referring to the wide square mouth adapted for grazing short grasses. Their skin is grey, but also reflects the colour of the soil, so they often appear reddish-brown in areas with red soil.

White Rhinos are quite sociable and are often seen in pairs or even much larger groups. They are tactile animals, often lying in contact with each other. They will drink twice a day if water is available and often wallow in mud, to keep cool and to control ticks and other blood-sucking invertebrates that plague them. White Rhinos have poor eyesight but acute hearing – their radar-like ears are rotating much of the time to pick up any sign of danger.