I know that the title of this post seems strange, but it actually is the English translation of rhinoceros. The rhino is one of Africa's "Big Five", so named by big game hunters to reference the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. Weighing in at over 2,000 pounds, I can't imagine hunting these animals on foot or by any other means for that matter. Just spotting this rhino that walked by the back of our truck was frightening enough, especially when he turned toward us to see what we were doing. There have been instances where they have charged safari trucks and cars using their horn as a weapon.
It is somewhat ironic that the rhino's horns make them a target for poachers who will cut off their horns and sell them on the black market. The horns are worth more than $60,000 a pound, making them more valuable than gold, diamonds and cocaine. The demand for the horns is due to the belief that they are an aphrodisiac as well as a medicine. The biggest demand for the horns are from Vietnam and most of the horns poached in South Africa are destined for there. In fact, on one of our days in Kruger National Park, there was a poaching reported and all vehicles leaving the park was searched.