Walking With Rhinos
Victoria Falls Adventures
With the chance of encountering the endangered white rhino at close quarters, a guided walking safari in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park can also bring you into close contact with buffalo, hippo and numerous species of antelope.This walk is also a great birding experience as it occurs close to the river. The walking safari also gives you a chance to just stop, look and listen to the African bush, and the knowledgeable guides will explain animal behaviour, bush signs and the cultural practices of local peoples.
Facts About the White Rhino
The mythical, aphrodisiacal qualities of the rhino horn have led to their wanton slaughter in Africa and Asia, and they are now a threatened species. All Zambia's original rhinos have been hunted out. The reintroduction of rhinos to Mosi-oa-Tunya is a pioneering project that may be repeated elsewhere in the country.
The rhino's horn is not a horn as such. It consists of tightly compressed hair-like fibres and is attached to the skin, not the skull. Rhinos are fairly placid animals with poor sight but an
acute sense of smell and hearing.
They are fast-food grazers par excellence, capable of taking more than one mouthful per second when the grass is fresh and green.
They tend to feed in the early morning and late afternoon and either rest in shade or wallow in shallow pools during the heat of the day. The mud wallows that they are known for is an effective tick-trapping technique - the parasites get caught in the mud, and when this dries and falls off the animals' skins, so do the insects.
Rhinos also have a close relationship with ox-pecker birds, which help remove the ticks and also sound the alarm when there is impending danger. Although they look cumbersome, rhinos can charge at up to 45km/h. White rhinos are, of course, not white at all but are so-called because of the misinterpretation of the Dutch word for "wide", which was used to describe the lip of the grazing variety of rhino.
Brett Hilton-Barber and Lee R. Berger. Copyright © 2010 Prime Origins.Walking With Rhinos at Victoria Falls
Contact Us to book a Walking With Rhinos in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park near Victoria Falls.
Apart from being a natural wonder of the world and a mighty sight to behold, Victoria Falls also offers a wealth of activities and exciting ...
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