# Where Do White Rhinoceroses Live?

> Southern white rhinos live in African short-grass savanna; northern whites have no wild population. Near Threatened, not finished.

- **Species:** White Rhinoceros (*Ceratotherium simum*)
- **Conservation status:** Near Threatened
- **Diet:** Herbivore — short grasses and occasionally browse
- **Habitat:** Open savanna grasslands and woodland of southern and eastern Africa
- **Lifespan:** 40–50 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 40 km/h (25 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-rhino/where-do-white-rhino-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-rhino/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The white rhinoceros is the largest rhino species, with a broad square lip adapted for grazing short grass. Southern white rhinos recovered from near extinction to over 15,000 through protection, while the northern white rhino is functionally extinct with only two females remaining under guard in Kenya.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Grassland grazer

White rhinos crop grass with a wide muscular lip, spending half the day feeding. Their head is held low near the ground — unlike browsing black rhinos. Poor eyesight is offset by excellent smell; mud wallows cool the skin and deter parasites.

## Help protect the White Rhinoceros

Northern white rhinos are functionally extinct; southern whites recovered but poaching pressure never eased.

[Donate to stop rhino poaching](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/rhinos/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-rhino/where-do-white-rhino-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.