# White Rhinoceros (*Ceratotherium simum*)

> 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.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Near Threatened
- **Range:** Southern white rhinos in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and reintroduced areas of Kenya; northern white rhino formerly in DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-rhino/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Perissodactyla
- **Family:** Rhinocerotidae
- **Genus:** Ceratotherium

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Ceratotherium simum |
| 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 |
| Weight | 1,800–2,500 kg (4,000–5,500 lb) |
| Top speed | Up to 40 km/h (25 mph) |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |

## 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.

## Social groups

White rhinos are more social than black rhinos, with cows and subadults sometimes forming loose groups. Territorial bulls mark with dung piles and defend access to females. Calves walk behind the mother for up to three years.

## Southern recovery miracle

Southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum) fell to roughly 50 animals in the early 1900s in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal. Protection and translocation rebuilt the population to over 15,000 — one of conservation's greatest recoveries — though poaching pressure continues.

## Northern white rhino tragedy

The northern subspecies is functionally extinct: the last male died in 2018, leaving two females in Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy. IVF and stem-cell research aim to prevent total loss, but the wild northern white rhino is gone from its range in Central Africa.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is it called a white rhino?

Probably from the Afrikaans 'wyd' (wide), describing the square lip — mistranslated as 'white'. The hide is grey like other rhinos.

### How many white rhinos are left?

Over 15,000 southern white rhinos remain; the northern subspecies has only two living females, both under 24-hour guard.

### White rhino vs black rhino?

White rhinos are larger grazers with a square lip and more social habits. Black rhinos are smaller browsers with a hooked lip and more solitary temperament.

### Are white rhinos still poached?

Yes — despite recovery, hundreds are poached annually for horn, especially in South Africa. Anti-poaching costs millions of dollars each year.

### Where do white rhinos live?

Southern white rhinos mainly in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya (reintroduced). Northern whites existed in DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Ceratotherium simum.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Ceratotherium%20simum&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Ceratotherium simum. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ceratotherium_simum/)
- [Wikipedia — White Rhinoceros.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_rhinoceros)

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