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This black rhinoceros was on a private game reserve (over 100 square miles, fenced in) outside of Nairobi. The upper lip is the easiest way to distinguish the two species. The black rhino has a pointed, somewhat prehensile lip. The white rhino has a wide, flat lip and a head that seems too large for its body. One of the females that we saw had fresh wounds on her flanks. Presumbaly they were inflicted by an over-zealous suitor. There are no lions within the preserve. It was not mentioned, but I assumed that the owner got income from both tourism and big game hunting. Most African species are at least partially migratory. In a restricted and confined habitat, the number of grazers would have to be controlled somehow so that they did not degrade their environment through over-grazing. Predators, human or otherwise, are a vital part of the balance of nature. |