Rhino are one of Africa’s most iconic animals and the chance to see them in the wild is high on many visitors’ safari bucket lists. The poaching epidemic they face across the continent is well publicised and, whilst the range of places they can be seen is more limited than those in which Africa’s other headline wildlife are spotted, there are still plenty of areas and specific camps which offer remarkable rhino spotting experience. This is thanks in no small part to the huge conservation efforts from NGOs such as Save The Rhino and the private sector, where lodge owners have sunk vast sums of money into relocating and constantly protecting these majestic creatures. Whether you are able to spot the larger and altogether more docile white rhino, or the small and on occasion aggressive black rhino, encounters with them are incredible and your guides will be able to tell you more about these gentle giants of the bush, as well as the endless work being done to protect them and grow their numbers in the wild.
Whilst it should be noted that rhinos are very much still wild animals and, as such, sightings of them are far from guaranteed, the presence of rangers looking after them 24 hours a day in all locations where they are found does make sightings of them much easier to come by. Some criticism is levelled that owing to their rangers sightings of them can feel contrived on occasion, but lodges and guides work very hard to ensure that this isn’t the case and that guests feel they are getting an authentic safari experience. Owing to protecting the location of rhino, guides ask that guests don’t share the specific location (via GPS or other method) of rhinos that they have seen, which helps to protect them and ensure that these truly remarkable creatures have a long term future in the wilds of Africa.