What age?

One of the most common questions that guides get asked is about the age of young animals. It is not always easy to give a correct answer without a point of reference.

The White Rhino baby in this picture is a bit less than one year old (as it has lost its ’roundish’ baby head shape and as the second horn is not visible yet).

Below are a few indications that might help in determining the age of small Rhinos:

Age 0-3 months

– The shoulders are slightly higher than the mother’s underside of her belly

– No horn is visible and it has a ’roundish’ baby head shape, quite distinct from a typical Rhino head shape

Age 3-6 months

⁃ The front horn is now visible, but the back horn is not

Age 6 months – 1 year

– The shoulders are about 1/3 up the mum’s side

– The front horn is now visible and back horn is just coming through

Age 1-2 years

– The shoulders are about 1/2 up the mum’s side

– The front horn is quite distinct, while the back horn is now visible

Age 2-4 years

– The shoulders are about 2/3 up the mum’s side

– Both horns are growing

Age 4-7 years

– The shoulders will still be lower than those of the mother. It is very difficult to distinguish them from a fully grown adult when they are by themselves (7 years+).

Rhino females are usually sexually mature at 4-5 years of age, but they rarely have their first calf before the age of 7. Males need to wait until they are 10-12 years old before claiming their own territory and mating with the females in their area.

Rhinos typically live 40-50 years in the wild.

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 20000 | 1/500sec | f6.7 | ev+0 | 150mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 50% of original image

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