Species: Black Rhinoceros | Location: Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
The black rhinoceros is critically endangered with estimates ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 remaining of the species. (In Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, the 30 or so black rhinos are under armed guard 24/7 to protect the species against poachers). They differ from their cousins the white rhinoceros not in color, but where they live and because of their prehensile lip used to browse leaves from trees. The white rhinoceros is not found on the Serengeti.
They are one of the oldest mammal species on the planet, resembling in some ways, prehistoric dinosaurs. Marco Polo once confused the species with unicorns when he wrote: "There are wild elephants in the country, and numerous unicorns, which are very nearly as big. They have hair like that of a buffalo, feet like those of an elephant, and a horn in the middle of the forehead, which is black and very thick."
Visit Karin's photography website for more wildlife photos.
About The Photographer
Karin Leperi is a nationally-acclaimed, award-winning writer and photographer with published bylines in over 90 outlets and over 1,500 articles. Her love of the natural world trumps most other endeavors save for aviation, travel, culture, and cuisine. She is a 2014 Lowell Thomas award winner.
