Southern White Rhinoceros

About the Southern White Rhinoceros

Quick facts

Scientific name

Ceratotherium simum simum^[1]

Size

Up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Front horn averages 35 inches, up to 60.^[1]

Weight

Up to 6,000 pounds.^[1]

Lifespan

40 to 50 years.^[1]

Diet

Herbivore. A grazer that eats short grasses.^[1]

Habitat

Grassland savannas.^[1]

Where it lives

Middle and southern Africa, mostly South Africa.^[1]

Group life

The most social rhino. Dominant males are usually solitary.^[1]

Babies

One calf after about 16 months. Calves are weaned at 1 to 2 years.^[1]

Conservation status

Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

• ⭐"White" rhino comes from an Afrikaans word meaning "wide," for its wide lips.^[1]
• ⭐White rhinos are the largest of all rhinos.^[1]
• ⭐The southern white rhino came back from near extinction to about 20,000 animals.^[1]
• ⭐Only two northern white rhinos are left, both female.^[1]

Vocabulary

graze

To feed on grass growing in a field.

Afrikaans

A language spoken in South Africa and Namibia.

poaching

Hunting or capturing animals illegally.

functionally extinct

So few left that the species can no longer survive on its own.

near threatened

A conservation label meaning a species may become threatened soon.

See it in person

• 📍Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
• 📍Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Scott African GrasslandsSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Southern White Rhinoceros.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/southern-white-rhinoceros/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ceratotherium simum ssp. simum (Southern White Rhinoceros).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39317/45814320 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.