This is not a southern white rhino. This is an Asian one-horned rhino. While they look superficially similar, in a captive situation like this the difference in their personalities and general way of going about things is marked. And it's all about the mouth.
Ack! Asian one-horned rhinos are very oral. They want to meet you, but they also want to taste you.
Here is a southern white rhino's square lip. I will note that it is a very demure and unobnoxious lip.
And here is the eerily prehensile upper lip of an Asian one-horned rhino, noobling about Ms. West's persona.
There is quite a bit of drool involved with Asian rhinoceri.
One goes about loving them somewhat gingerly.
What are you afraid of?
I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to taste you. Or, better, I would like you to drop an apple in my maw. Or a pear. Something. Just give me something to chew on.
Liam kept his distance!
Savannah thought they all smelled.
Bill of the Birds was charmed.
How can we get that bird man to come closer?
More more more said the Science Chimp.
photos by Tricia West
By the time we were done my parka was covered in Asian rhino slobber.
and we all reeked of rhino, and that made us very, very happy.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
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