The Rhino Family
Greater one-horned rhino
(Rhinoceros unicornis)
Thanks to strict protection by government authorities in India and Nepal, the greater one-horned, or Indian, rhino has rebounded from fewer than 100 individuals to more than 3,600 today.
Beginning in 2005, IRF and our Indian Rhino Vision 2020 partners worked together to establish a new rhino population in Assam’s Manas National Park. A total of 21 animals have been born in the park since 2012, and in February 2020, two more rhinos were translocated from Kaziranga NP to Manas, bringing the population to 41 animals and growing.
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable & Population Increasing
Facts
Biology
- The greater one-horned rhino lives in northern India and southern Nepal, in riverine (floodplain) grasslands and adjacent woodland.
- Greater one-horned rhinos are grazers. When not grazing on land, animals like to immerse themselves in water, where they also graze on aquatic plants.
- Gestation lasts approximately 15 – 16 months, and mothers give birth to one calf every 2 – 3 years.
- Greater one-horned rhinos are usually solitary except for females with young. Males maintain loosely-defended territories.
Common Names
Greater one-horned rhinoceros: referring to the single large horn
Indian and/or Nepalese rhinoceros: referring to the species’ range
Scientific Name and Origin
Rhinoceros unicornis from the Greek “rhino”, meaning “nose” and “ceros”, meaning “horn” and “unicornis” from the Latin “uni”, meaning “one” and “cornis”, meaning “horn”
Current Black Rhino Numbers and Distribution
More than 3,600 in the wild.
Physical Characteristics
SIZE
Weight: 4,000-6,000 lbs (1,800 – 2,700 kg)
Height: 5.75 – 6.5 feet (1.75 – 2.0 m) tall at shoulder
Length: 10- 12.5 feet (3.0 – 3.8 m) length of head and body
HORN
Greater one-horned rhinos have a single horn 8 to 24 inches (20 to 61 cm) long.
Photo Gallery
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