The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is one of the two African rhinoceros species. It is recognizable by its pointed, prehensile upper lip, which is adapted for plucking leaves and branches. It is not extinct: according to 2025 estimates, there are about 6,800 living in Africa. Its population is increasing, but it remains classified as “critically endangered” by the IUCN. In Tanzania, there are about 285, twice as many as there were ten years ago, and the best place to see them is the Ngorongoro Crater.
Quick Reference Guide
- Scientific name: Diceros bicornis
- Height at the withers: 1.4–1.8 m
- Length: 3–3.8 m
- Weight: 800–1,400 kg
- Diet: leaves, branches, and shoots of shrubs; it is a browser
- Lifespan: 35–40 years in the wild
- Population: approximately 6,800 individuals (2025)
- Conservation status: critically endangered
Why is it called “black” if it’s gray
?
The black rhinoceros isn’t black: its skin is gray, just like that of the white rhinoceros, and it often takes on the color of the mud in which it rolls. The name arose by contrast with that of the “white” rhinoceros. According to a widely held but never proven theory, “white” derives from a misunderstanding of the Dutch or Afrikaans term wijd, meaning “wide,” referring to the white rhinoceros’s wide mouth. Once one was called “white,” the other became “black.”
Physical Characteristics
It is a large perissodactyl mammal, a distant relative of horses and tapirs, with a massive body and short, sturdy legs. Males can weigh over 1,300 kg. Despite its size, the black rhinoceros is surprisingly agile: it can change direction in an instant and run at speeds exceeding 50 km/h.
- The horns. As its scientific name, *bicornis*, suggests, it has two horns. The front one is the longest, typically between 40 and 60 cm, with records exceeding one meter. They are made of keratin, the same substance as our fingernails, and regrow if cut. They are used for defense, for fighting among males, for digging in search of water and mineral salts, and for bending branches.
- The lip. The upper lip is pointed and prehensile, almost like a small finger. It uses it to grasp leaves and twigs, even thorny ones. This is the characteristic that definitively distinguishes it from the white rhinoceros.
- The senses. Its eyesight is poor, but its hearing and sense of smell are extremely keen. Its ears move independently to pinpoint sounds.
- The skin. It is up to 1.5–2 cm thick on the flanks but sensitive to insect bites and the sun. This is why the rhinoceros often takes mud baths.
The following often alight on its back: bufaghe, birds that feed on ticks and parasites and sound the alarm with their calls when someone approaches. In Swahili, they are called Askari wa Kifaru, “the rhino guards.”
Behavior, Diet, and Reproduction
The black rhinoceros is primarily solitary. Females live with their most recent calf, while males defend territories that they mark with urine and large piles of dung used as “scent markers.” It is most active in the early morning, at dusk, and at night. During the hottest hours of the day, it rests in the shade or wallows in mud.
It is a browser: it feeds on leaves, shoots, branches, and fruits from hundreds of species of shrubs and small trees, including acacias and euphorbias that are poisonous to many other animals. For this reason, it prefers bushy savannas and thickets to open grasslands.
Gestation lasts about 15 months, and a single calf is born, which stays with its mother for two or three years. An interesting fact: the black rhinoceros calf walks behind its mother, who clears the way for it through the thicket. The white rhinoceros calf, on the other hand, walks ahead of its mother across open grasslands.
It has a reputation for being quick-tempered. In reality, because it has poor eyesight, it tends to charge at things it doesn’t recognize, often only to stop or veer off course. That’s why guides always maintain a safe distance.
Differences Between Black and White Rhinoceroses
| Black Rhinoceros | White rhinoceros | |
|---|---|---|
| Mouth | Pointed, prehensile lip | Wide, flat, and square lip |
| Diet | Leaves and branches (browser) | Grass (grazing) |
| Header | High flow rate | Low flow rate, close to the ground |
| Weight | 800–1,400 kg | 1,800–2,500 kg |
| Back | Hollow, without a hump | With a noticeable muscular hump on the neck |
| Ears | Smaller and rounder | Larger and more pointed |
| Personality | Solitary, skittish | More sociable and calm, lives in small groups |
| Habitat | Scrubland and bushy savanna | Open grasslands |
| Little | He walks behind his mother | He walks in front of his mother |
| Population (2025) | Approximately 6,800, and growing | Approximately 15,750, slightly decreasing |
| In Tanzania | Yes | No (it lives mainly in South Africa) |
Where does the black rhinoceros live
?
It was once widespread across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Today, it survives in fragmented, monitored populations. Most live in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, with smaller populations in Tanzania and in several countries where it has been reintroduced, such as Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda. There are three subspecies:
- Eastern black rhinoceros (D. b. michaeli): It lives in Kenya and northern Tanzania.
- Central-southern black rhinoceros (D. b. minor): This is the most numerous subspecies. It is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and southern Tanzania.
- Southwestern black rhinoceros (D. b. bicornis): It is adapted to arid regions and lives primarily in Namibia.
Other subspecies have become extinct. The western black rhinoceros (D. b. longipes), which lived between Cameroon and Chad, was declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011. The northeastern subspecies (D. b. brucii) had already become extinct in the 20th century.
Why It’s at Risk: The Story of a Collapse
Around 1960, there were still about 100,000 black rhinos. Over the next thirty years, poaching nearly wiped them out: by the mid-1990s, fewer than 2,500 remained. It is one of the most rapid population declines ever recorded for a large mammal.
The main cause is the demand for horn:
- in traditional Asian medicine, where it is believed to have healing properties that have no scientific basis;
- in the 1970s and 1980s, in Yemen, where it was used for the handles of jambiyas, the traditional curved daggers;
- more recently, as a status symbol in some Asian markets.
Added to all this are habitat loss and fragmentation.
The recovery is the result of decades of effort: fenced-in sanctuaries monitored day and night, armed rangers, animal relocations to establish new populations, individual monitoring of each animal, and, in some areas, preventive horn removal. Since around 2012, the population has been growing steadily.
Is the black rhinoceros extinct?
No. The black rhinoceros as a species is not extinct: in 2025, there were approximately 6,800, up from the previous estimate of about 6,200. However, some subspecies have gone extinct, such as the western black rhinoceros in 2011. This is often the source of confusion, or it stems from the northern white rhinoceros, of which only two females remain in Kenya.
Where to see the black rhino in Tanzania
In the 1990s, black rhinos in Tanzania were reduced to a few dozen. According to the latest national census, in 2025 there were approximately 285 , compared to 142 in 2014. The best places to see them are:
- Ngorongoro Crater. The floor of the Ngorongoro Caldera is where sightings are most likely, usually from a distance, in open clearings. A good pair of binoculars makes all the difference.
- Serengeti. A small population lives in Serengeti National Park, protected in the Moru kopjes area in the central-southern sector. Sightings are rare.
- Mkomazi. It is home to a fenced sanctuary where rhinos are bred to repopulate other areas.
- Nyerere (Selous). Rhinos are present, but they are almost impossible to spot.
Along with the lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo, the rhinoceros is one of the Big Five—the five animals that hunters of the past considered the most dangerous to encounter on foot. It is almost always the last one you manage to photograph during a safari.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Black Rhinoceros
Is the black rhinoceros extinct?
No. In 2025, there were approximately 6,800 black rhinos living in Africa, and the population is growing. However, the species remains critically endangered. The western subspecies, on the other hand, is extinct; it was declared extinct in 2011.
How many black rhinos are there in the world?
According to estimates from 2025, there are about 6,800 black rhinos, almost all of them in southern and eastern Africa. In the 1990s, their numbers had fallen below 2,500, whereas around 1960 there were about 100,000.
What is the difference between black and white rhinos?
The main difference is their mouths. The black rhino has a pointed, prehensile lip for eating leaves and twigs, while the white rhino has a broad, flat lip for grazing on grass. The white rhinoceros is also larger, has a hump on its neck, and carries its head low.
Why is it called the black rhinoceros?
The name arose in contrast to the white rhinoceros, not because of the color of its skin, which is gray in both species. According to a widespread but unproven theory, “white” derives from the Dutch word wijd, which means “wide” and refers to the mouth.
Where can you see the black rhino in Tanzania?
The best place is the Ngorongoro Crater, where sightings are frequent, though often from a distance. A small population lives in the Serengeti, in the Moru area, and a sanctuary is located in Mkomazi National Park.
How much does a black rhino weigh?
An adult black rhino weighs between 800 and 1,400 kg, stands 1.4–1.8 meters tall at the shoulder, and is 3–3.8 meters long. The white rhino is much larger and can exceed 2,000 kg.
Seeing a free black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater is a privilege that until a few years ago seemed destined to disappear. On our northern itineraries, we dedicate a full day to the crater, departing at dawn. The Mamba Safari is a good starting point, or you can ask us for a tailor-made itinerary built around the Big Five.
