White rhinoceros

흰코뿔소

The white rhinoceros is the largest rhino and can weigh over 2 tonnes. It grazes with a broad, square lip made for cropping grass. Its name probably comes from an old word for wide, not from its colour.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Hluhluwe–iMfolozi, South Africa
Diet: Plant eater (herbivore)
Weight: about 2,000 kg
Length: about 3.7 m
Top speed: about 50 km/h
Lifespan: up to about 50 years
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN NT)
Habitat: savannas, grasslands

Quick answers

Where does the White rhinoceros live?

It lives in savannas, grasslands. On the globe you can find it near Hluhluwe–iMfolozi, South Africa.

How big is the White rhinoceros?

It grows to about 3.7 m and 2,000 kg.

What does the White rhinoceros eat?

Its diet: plant eater (herbivore).

How fast is the White rhinoceros?

It can reach about 50 km/h.

How long does the White rhinoceros live?

It can live up to about 50 years.

Is the White rhinoceros endangered?

It is listed as Near Threatened (IUCN NT).

The white rhinoceros is the largest of the five living rhino species. It has a wide, square lip made for grazing grass, and it is the most social of all rhinos. Adults can weigh around 2 tonnes.

There are two subspecies. The southern white rhino numbered about 17,500 in the wild at the end of 2023. The northern white rhino is critically endangered: only two females, Fatu and Najin, are left, living under protection at Ol Pejeta in Kenya. The last male, Sudan, died in 2018. It is also the most social rhino, often seen in small groups. Poachers want its horn, and that threat is why the species is Near Threatened.

Why 'white'?

The colour is not white. One popular story says the name came from a mistake when Dutch 'wijd', meaning 'wide', was heard as 'white' by English-speaking settlers. This idea is widely doubted, and the real origin is unknown.

A rarer but more accurate name is the square-lipped rhinoceros. At the end of 2023 there were about 17,464 southern white rhinos in the wild.

Speed and stamina

For such a heavy animal, it is fast. A white rhino can run up to about 64 km/h for very short bursts and keep up around 48 to 50 km/h for quite a while.

Poaching for horn and loss of habitat are the main dangers, and the species overall is Near Threatened. Conservation programmes and guarded reserves have helped the southern white rhino bounce back from very low numbers.