Southern white rhinos (犀牛) mainly live in Africa. They are very large in size, about 4 metres long, 1.75 metres high, and over two tons in weight. There are two horns (角) on the nose. The front horn is over half a metre long, while the other one is smaller. Southern white rhinos are not really white. They are grey in colour. “White” may come from the Afrikaans word for “wide”. It has some connection with their wide mouths.

Southern white rhinos live on grass, leaves, fruit and so on. They have very poor eyesight. However, they have good hearing and an excellent sense of smell. Their skin (皮肤) is nearly 5 cm thick but is very sensitive. During the day, they try to find a cool place to avoid sunburn. Southern white rhinos lie in mud (泥浆) when they can, as it sticks to their skin and protects them from the bright African sun.

Some humans kill rhinos for their horns. They sell horns to those who believe horns have magic powers or can treat sickness. It puts southern white rhinos in danger.

Now many actions are taken to protect southern white rhinos. The international trade in rhino horn has been stopped in the world. Besides, many protected areas have been built, especially in South Africa. Up to 2020, more than 20 countries have made rules to protect southern white rhinos. Today the number of southern white rhinos has increased to over 20,000 in the wild.