My single horn is priceless, formed from a combination of keratin and calcium, and I have a strong sense of hearing!
My name is Nola, I’m a female southern white rhino and am considered a celebrity here in Al Ain Zoo.I was named after a southern white rhino female that sadly died in 2016 at the San Diego Zoo, in the United States of America, as we are a highly endangered species. There are only two northern white rhinos left in the world, and both females are kept safe in the “Ol Pejeta Conservancy” in Kenya.
But here in Al Ain Zoo, there’ are11 of us rhinos. Many guests come to see us on the Al Ain Safari Tour and in the African exhibit. We are all from Africa and the most famous species of us are the White and Black Rhinos, which are species classifications and actually have nothing to do with our color.
Rhinoceros means “nose-horned”, and we usually have one horn but sometimes we have two, one big and one smaller. Our horns are no ordinary horns, they are highly coveted by poachers and command very high prices, which puts us at risk. Our horns are mainly formed of keratin which is also a main component of human hair and nails, in addition to calcium and melanin: the calcium makes it stronger and the melanin protects it from the ultraviolet rays of sunlight.
I’m quite a large mammal, herbivorous I might add, and have a unique wide upper lip that helps me eat my favorite foods. My hearing and smelling senses are very strong, but I mostly rely on my sense of smell to get to know my surroundings, as unfortunately, I have relatively poor eyesight.