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Babault, G., 1949. Notes ethologiques sur quelques mammiferes africains. Mammalia 13: 1-16

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Location: Africa - Eastern Africa - Kenya
Subject: Behaviour - Senses
Species: Black Rhino


Original text on this topic:
The small birds that they carry warn them of the approach of a danger while flying off, but when these are absent and when one approaches with a favorable wind, one can come very close to them without bothering them. We had this experience with a car. We drove around in the savanna, far from all roads, in search of interesting photos to take. As we approached a big dry stream, we saw a rhinoceros lying under an acacia. As the place was without stones, we could run away easily, so we tried to raise the pachyderm with warning shots, but, to our surprise, he didn't move. Making a detour, we came back from the other direction, the breeze blowing toward the rhinoceros. It did not take long, in the blink of an eye, he was on his feet and climbed the slope that separated us. The following instant, he charged. It shows that the smell is superior to the hearing among these pachyderms and provoke the defensive reflex more easily.

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