1. The value of rhino horn by weight has surpassed that of gold, diamonds or cocaine.
2. Rhino horns are not bone and aren’t hollow like elephant tusks. They are made entirely of keratin, which grows throughout the animal’s lifetime, just like our own hair and nails. It is similar in structure to a horse’s hoof.
3. If a rhino is de-horned without cutting into the skull, it can grow back to almost full size after three years. However, if the rhino’s skull is cut into while being de-horned, it could complicate or completely compromise the re-growth of the horn.
4. The white rhino isn’t white, it’s grey – it got its name from the Afrikaans word ‘weit’, which means ‘wide’ and refers to its mouth.
5. Rhinos are part of a group of mammals called odd-toed ungulates, and are speedy on their feet, reaching 60 to 65km/h when they run.
6. A group of rhinoceros is called a ‘herd’ or a ‘crash’.
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