SOS Rhino Review
July 2004

Welcome to the SOS Rhino Review, a newsletter about rhinos from SOS Rhino. You’ll find links to interesting articles here as well as a few surprises! We have provided some updates on our efforts to save rhinos all over the world. Let us know if you’d rather not receive this newsletter.

And now, let's go to the rhino news.

1. About Us
2. World Rhino News
3. Feature Stories
4. Donor Appreciation
5. Find It On Our Web Site
6. Trivia Questions
7. How You Can Help
8. Trivia Answers

Full Stories Are Available Via Web Links

1. About Us

SOS Rhino is a non-profit, international foundation dedicated to preserving the five rhinoceros species in their natural habitats. Our conservation programs combine research, education, marketing and advocacy, all working collectively to achieve sustainable results.

Through diverse stakeholder support, SOS Rhino develops and funds rhino conservation and awareness programs appropriate to individual countries, providing these countries with the information and tools to build lasting rhino conservation.

It is our goal to secure a place for this ancient animal in tomorrow’s world.

2. World Rhino News

Seven rare Javan rhinos fight extinction in Cat Tien Park
HA NOI — When the elusive Javan rhino, which for 40 years was thought to be extinct, was caught on camera in 1999 in south Viet Nam’s Cat Tien National Park, it captured the world’s attention and offered environmentalists a reason to hope that the species’ plight could be reversed.

Africa's black rhino seen on road to recovery
JOHANNESBURG — Africa's black rhino has been snatched from the brink of extinction and its numbers are on the rebound, but the lumbering beast still faces many threats, conservationists said on Thursday.

3. Featured Stories

SOS Rhino Borneo MONTHLY FIELD REPORT APRIL 2004
Honorable Datuk Chong Kah Kiat, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment visited Sepilok to get first hand report on works undertaken in the center. Dr. Edwin Bosi and Dr. Petra Kretzschmar, SOS Rhino program officer and Science Director respectively briefed the Honorable Minister on SOS Rhino’s role in Sepilok.

4. Donor Appreciation

SOS RHINO wishes to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations, and foundations for their generous support of our programs. Their support comes in many forms: donation of their expertise and time, funds for specific programs and equipment, and donation of products. THANK YOU!

The "Magic Horn" Ultimate Frisbee Team:
Megan Brennan, Wade Callahan, Suzy Friedman, Charlie Goblet, Carter Johnson, Dave Kahle, Doug Kirk, Frank Kuhr, Neema Navai, Katie O’Rourke, Kenny Outcalt, Katherine Patnode, Bob Pearl, Barrett Ruemping, Mike Tomaszewski, Cherie Weinewuth

SOS Rhino wishes to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their contribution to the “SOS RHINO Annelisa Memorial Fund”. Donated funds will be used to help continue Dr. Kilbourn’s work dedicated to the survival of the Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia. THANK YOU!

5. Find It On Our Web Site

RHINO SPECIES
Only five main rhino species survive on 3 continents in the world. What used to number in the hundreds of thousands, now only amounts to tens of thousand for all the rhino species collectively. Visit our Rhino Species page to learn about their unique traits:

6. Trivia Questions

1. TRUE OR FALSE? Rhinos have teeth.

2. Why do some rhinos have square lips while others have pointed lips?

3. What term is used to define a congregation (group) of rhinos?

8. Trivia Answers

1. TRUE. All rhinos, those from Asia as well as Africa, have teeth in the sides of their jaws, called premolars and molars. The Asian species of rhinoceros also show well-developed front teeth. In fact, the incisors of the Indian Rhinoceros are its main means of defence, much more dangerous than the horn on the nose.

2. The while rhinoceros in Africa is the species with the wide upper lip. It is the rhinoceros that spends much of its time grazing for which reason it has developed this wide lip to help in cutting off the sharp grass.

It also has far more muscles in the neck area, which are necessary to lift the heavy head because it has to lower the head for the grazing.

The hindhead of the skull is much larger than in other rhinos to give an attachment for the muscles.

The black rhinoceros in Africa is a browser and has a prehensile upper lip to find and cut off the browse on shrubs and trees. It has a far smaller head because is does not need all the muscles for lowering the head.

3. A study on the African white rhinoceros, which is probably more social than other species, gave the following definitions: An "aggregation" is a congregation of individuals in the same area, but the animals each go their own way after some time. A "group" is an association of animals who try to stay in each other's proximity.

These groups remain intact for at least a few hours. Groupings in which the individuals were seen together for a period of a month or longer are called "stable associations" (like mother and child), while animals together for shorter periods are "temporary associations".

Many modern writers refer to a congregation of rhinoceroses as a "crash". This is sometimes found in crosswords or quizzes. "Herd" would not be zoologically correct because rhinos do not stay in one group for long, they are "temporary associations".
Scientists still use "groups" for the rhinoceros and it is a correct term.