Fish Eagle's White Rhino Coin (Missing)

Roam anywhere in the world, collecting the flags of the countries that I visit.

This is a real coin. If you find anything else please let us know. See the gallery for a photo.

We live close to the Kruger National Park, which we visit frequently, and love dearly. We have dedicated this series of personal geocoins to some of the special animals found in the Park.

WHITE RHINO  (Ceratotherium Simum)

Appearance
The White Rhino is the third largest land mammal. Massive, stocky, and with a reputation of being not quite as aggressive as the Black Rhino. The two distinctive horns are in fact very densely packed fibres, and materially not really horns. The record horn length is 1.58 m. Bulls, weighing up to 2 000 kg, are larger than cows which weigh up to 1 800 kg.

Bulls are 1.8 m at the shoulders. The grey skin is almost hairless. They have a square-shaped, wide mouth. White Rhinos have a hump on the neck. The penis points backwards and testes are located abdominally.

Diet:
The White Rhino is strictly a grazer. Favouring short grass, but will feed on taller grass when short grass is not available. The wide mouth enables adequate intake with each plug harvested with the upper and lower lips.

Breeding
Even though most conceptions take place during the wet season, this huge mammal is not a strict seasonal breeder. Calves are born early in the dry season after a gestation period of 16 months, and stays with their mothers for a period of two to three years, until she gives birth to her next calve. Cows starts breeding at about eight years and bulls reach sexual maturity at 10-12 years. During mating, sexual activity can last more than an hour.

Behaviour:
In spite of their bulk and short stubby legs, White Rhino can run remarkably fast, but only for very short distances. Dominant territorial bulls occupy mutually exclusive areas of two to five square kilometers, but one or more subordinate bulls may share the territory. Female ranges may overlap those of several bull territories. A territorial bull will attempt to confine a receptive cow to his territory, and will join her for five to ten days prior to mating.

Where they are found:
Formerly widely distributed throughout the bushveld regions of South Africa. In the 19th century it was exterminated by hunters, except in KwaZulu-Natal’s Umfolozi region. Although now thriving where it has been re-introduced into parts of its former region, it still suffers from poaching.

Dec06 - New Zealand

Jan08 - Australia

Nov09 - Netherlands

Feb10 - Germany

Jul10 - Netherlands

Aug10 - Switzerland

Oct10 - United Kingdom

Mar11 - Australia