Astley-Maberly, C.T., 1938. With the white rhinoceros in Zululand. Journal of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire 34: 52-55, fig. 1
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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - South Africa |
| Subject: |
Behaviour - Towards Man |
| Species: |
White Rhino |
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The kindly, good-tempered White Rhinoceros, however, entirely lacks the impetuosity of his smaller but more irritable relative. Standing approximately 6 feet at the shoulder, with an amazing hump on the back of his neck, be moves about with a gentle, ponderous dignity that swiftly puts the peacefully disposed ?hunter' at ease with him. Provided you are careful about the wind, and are reasonably quiet in approach, you can advance to within 20 yards or so with little risk of danger excepting that which may arise from a suddenly startled and bewildered creature.
Only once did we experience anything in the nature of a charge from a White Rhino, and in this case I am of the opinion that the unusual behaviour of the beast was due to bewilderment and his defective eyesight. Startled at our approach, a pair of White Rhinos were trotting away in a direction which would take them past a certain large bushclump, so, jumping out of the car, I followed our splendid Zulu guide to the cover of the clump, expecting to film them as they issued round the other side. Hardly had we taken up position than round they came, the cow leading. They passed at about 25 yards, and I commenced to film. Instantly the bull swung about and headed straight towards us! He came at a clumsy, shambling trot, and my guide promptly waved his arms and shouted. For a second the monster hesitated, and then to our amazement he came on again, while the guide now danced and yelled more wildly, finally clutching, me hastily out of the way. At this demonstration the Rhino was clearly unnerved, for he swung round and rapidly galloped after his retreating cow. He was within about 10 yards of us when he finally turned. My impression was that he had been completely bewildered, firstly by the whirring of the camera and later by the noise, and that it was only when he became aware of our movements that he realized the cause of the hubbub, when he retired distinctly more quickly than he had advanced !
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With the white rhinoceros in Zululand
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