 Reference Base  Habitat preference of the white rhino in the Kruger Natio... |
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Pienaar, D.J., 1994. Habitat preference of the white rhino in the Kruger National Park: pp. 59-64, figs. 1-2
 | In: Penzhorn, B.L. et al. Proceedings of a symposium on rhinos as game ranch animals. Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa, 9-10 September 1994: pp. i-iv, 1-242 |
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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - South Africa |
| Subject: |
Ecology - Food |
| Species: |
White Rhino |
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Kruger NP. White rhino are selective grazers; no browsing was observed in the KNP or in the Umfolozi Game Reserve. Forbs were also avoided and white rhino even avoided favoured grass patches that contained plenty of forbs.
In the Umfolozi Game Reserve Owen-Smith noticed that during the wet months white rhino concentrated their grazing on short grass grasslands. As the dry season advanced and the short grass grassiands were depleted, they shifted their grazing to areas of medium-tall Themeda grassland. By the end of the dry season white rhinos moved up into hillslopes to graze remaining reserves of taller grassland.
In the KNP white rhino also sought out short grass species such as Sporobolus nitens, Dectyloctenium segyptium, Panicum coloratum, Urochlos mosembicensis and Digiteris spp. White rhinos were very partial to shade grasses, in particular Panicum maximum and actively sought out these grasses along the riverbanks. Themeda triandre was only grazed after a burn when it was freshly sprouting. White rhino were very partial to freshly burnt areas and on a number of occasions they were observed to feed on the burnt stubble the day after a block had burnt. As the dry season advanced the white rhino continued to select the more palatable grasses and did not shift their diet towards the taller stands of Theinede. In the late dry season white rhino would extend their feeding activities into the midslope areas where they would walk from tree to tree and feed on Panicum maximum growing in the shade.
In the granitic Pretoriuskop area of the KNP rainfall is high, the soils are deep and sandy and the footslopes are not well developed. In these areas termite mounds are important feeding sites for white rhino.
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