Jenny Bowen, expert in Eswatini and owner of UK tour operator Sense Africa, shares her love for Rhinos and some fun facts on how Eswatini’s grey beast are an important part of the country’s ecosystem.
I have been incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to see rhino on a regular basis. Anyone wanting to see rhino has to go to Eswatini, you can see rhino on foot, they are so close it is mind blowing.
We hear about the need to protect species and rhino are part of the Big Five, but what is so important about this particular species?
A Keystone Species
Rhinos are a ‘keystone species’ – their presence and role within an ecosystem is essential to the survival of other organisms. Being a mega-herbivore rhino alter habitats by reshaping entire ecosystems over time by wallowing in mud puddles and creating natural waterholes as well as keeping existing water holes open.
On leaving a wallow a rhino removes a considerable amount of mud which is all over its body. This fertile mud dries on the rhino body and is then rubbed off and distributed throughout the bush. This enriches the soil further away from the wallow. A 2014 study by two scientists concluded that rhinos had a more significant impact on the topography than elephants.
Rhinos also create mini ‘wallow dams’ dotted around the edge of dams and waterholes. This allows smaller species to get access to water without the worry of being caught by crocodiles. These mini wallows also reduce the danger of getting stuck in the mud making antelope vulnerable to predator attack.
Dung Distributors
Rhinos eat over 50kg of vegetation per day and deposit more than 20kg of dung. This dung fertilises the soil and also provides livelihoods for many other species, in particular the dung beetle. Dung is removed from the scene by these beetles and they bury it with their eggs. These not only nourish the soil they also act as great snacks, when the larvae have hatched, for carnivores/omnivores such as the slender mongoose.
Tick Restaurant
Rhinos are host to ticks which in turn, sustain other species such as oxpeckers. A rhino carrying many ticks is prized by oxpeckers and these noisy birds are often the easiest way to find rhinos. Terrapins also feed on these ticks when rhinos drink and wallow at waterholes.
Living Lawnmowers
White rhinos are living lawn mowers and provide suitable habitats for a host of species. Short grass is essential for the survival of specific plants like short annual grasses, and wildebeest prefer short grass for grazing along with birds such as longclaws, larks and pipits. All these species cannot survive in wooded or long-grass ecosystems. Rhino lawns also provide sanctuary during veld fires for animals like slow-moving tortoises and for plant species that cannot tolerate fire.
All in all rhinos are an important part of the wildlife food chain creating safe havens, new ecosystems and fertilising the bush.
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