 Reference Base  The mammals of South Africa, vol I: Primates, carnivora a... |
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Sclater, W.L., 1900. The mammals of South Africa, vol I: Primates, carnivora and ungulata. London, R.H. Porter, pp. i-xxxi, 1-324
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| Location: |
World |
| Subject: |
Behaviour - Towards Man |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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in disposition it is morose and solitary with coarse and uncouth manner, great irascibility, unbounded curiosity and singular nervous excitability; it is subject to paroxysms of fury when it tears up the ground in great furrows with its horns, and behaves generally in a most whimsical manner. Much has been written by the earlier writers about the danger of meddling with rhinoceroses, and it is generally stated that they will charge without provocation; Mr. Selous, however, does not consider them to be nearly so dangerous as usually represented, and states that only on one occasion was he ever charmed without any reason, and further, he believes that many of the stories are due to the fact that the eyesight of the animal being very poor, it makes mad rushes in one particular direction with the object of escaping, not of charging; there can be no doubt, however, that many fatal accidents have occurred through charges of the black rhinoceros, whether pre-meditated or accidental, and that great care should be exercised in approaching either an untouched or wounded animal.
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