Rhino

Daryl and Sharna Balfour lived and worked in the Okavango Delta for two years, observing and recording Rhinos in their natural habitat. This is a photographic document recording the life of this creature in its natural habitat. Throughout Africa, where they occur, the white and black rhinoceroses are severely threatened: this is partly because of habitat pressures, but by far the most menacing threat to these animals is from poaching, for the rhino shares with the elephant the demand for a small but valuable part of its body, the horn. The introduction to the book dwells on the whole dilemma of the rhinoceros and what is being done by various governments in Africa. The rhino horn racket is discussed, as is the natural history of these creatures. Photography is used to show the rhino in its natural surroundings throughout Africa, their habits and social behaviour, and also the animals which associate with them. The Indian, Javan and Sumatran rhino are also discussed. An appendix summarizes each of the five rhino species, giving details of the scientific and common names, size, identification characteristics, habitat and habits, food preferences, reproduction, distribution and status. A map indicates the distribution of present-day and historic populations of rhino, and agencies dedicated to helping to save the rhino are listed with a further reading list.