Black Rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is an African browsing rhinoceros with a pointed, flexible upper lip used to pull leaves and shoots from shrubs and trees. The name does not reliably describe its color, which is usually gray and often stained by local soil or mud. Compared with the white rhinoceros, it is generally smaller, more solitary, and built for browsing rather than close-cropped grazing. Several regional forms are recognized, and many populations have been shaped by translocation and recovery work.

Black rhino care and recovery revolve around secure reserves, anti-poaching work, browse management, and coordinated zoo breeding. Field teams identify individuals, protect calves, maintain shrub and tree forage, and sometimes move animals to build new populations or ease local pressure. Captive facilities need heavy barriers, protected contact systems, mud wallows, browse-heavy diets, and close attention to feet and horns. Because horn trafficking remains a major threat, wildlife authorities and studbook programs usually document each movement, birth, and death.