Stay Sharp and Know When to Take Charge

A rhinoceros is commonly called a rhino.  They are odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae.  There are five species in the world.  The black and the white rhinos are the two species native to Africa and the greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos are native South and Southeast Asia.  Three species of rhinos are critically endangered.  They are the black, Javan, and Sumatran rhinos. A mainland subspecies of the Javan rhino was declared extinct in Vietnam in 2011 and today, only one national park on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Java has a small population of Java rhinos.

Rhinos are known for their giant horns that grow from their snouts.  Hence the name rhinoceros meaning nose horn.  Javan and Indian rhinos have one horn, while white, black and Sumatran rhinos have two.  These animals are some of the biggest animals in the world. 

Rhinos are intelligent, social, and emotional animals.  They are a vital part of Africa’s tourism industry and its legacy.  I had the opportunity to see a white rhino while visiting my sister in Zimbabwe.  We travelled to a protective game park and could drive our vehicle throughout the park and see many amazing animals. 

Rhinos are generally gentle and keep to themselves. They prefer to roam unhindered and undisturbed. They are rarely aggressive if unprovoked but rhinos can be protective, if they are threatened.  They will move their bodies into an attack stance and often charge in an attempt to get rid of a perceived threat.  Female rhinos can be very protective of their calves.

Lions in Africa and tigers in Asia have been reported to prey upon young rhinos.  Leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and Nile crocodiles have also been known to kill African rhino calves on occasion.  People are actually the rhinos’ Number 1 enemy. Rhinos are hunted and killed for their horns. In Asia a rhino horn is used in ornamental carvings and traditional medicine.  The Rhino horn is seen as a cure for hangovers and cancer.  It is increasingly common to use it as a status symbol to display success and wealth.  

Rhinos have their horns for a reason.  They use it to protect their young and to defend themselves.  If a rhino is dehorned without cutting into the skull, it can grow back to almost full size in about three years.  But if the rhino’s skull is cut into while being dehorned, it could compromise the re-growth of the horn.  

Here are two more interesting facts about rhinos.  Greater one-horned rhinos can swim.  They can even dive underwater.  All rhinos have an odd number of toes.  In their case there are three.  The central toe is more developed and serves as the main support.  

These are the sayings on the bookmark called Advice from a Rhino.

• Stay sharp

• Be a good listener

• Know when to take charge

• Stand your ground

• Be a survivor

• It’s OK to be a little thick-skinned

• Find your sanctuary!

These are my comments about each of these sayings.

• Stay sharp - Prevent your brain from being slow and out of practice.  Exercise your brain with activities that make you think a lot. 

• Be a good listener - Listening shows respect and regard for others. It shows you care about others and what they have to say.  When you are a good listener, others will tend to listen more carefully to you, as well.

• Know when to take charge - When you take charge you accept responsibility for something and have control over it.  Knowing when to take charge or when to let go and allow others to take charge of something is a skill of good leadership. 

• Stand your ground - You won’t get your own way every time, but by standing your ground initially, you have the opportunity to communicate your thoughts and concerns. Sometimes you will have to back down and make the best of the situation.

• Be a survivor - Be resilient and courageous and you will be able to overcome any hardships that come your way.

• It’s OK to be a little thick-skinned - To be thick-skinned is to not be upset by criticism or rejection. 

• Find your sanctuary!  - Find a place where you can feel safe and secure. 

Have a great day everyone.  Stay sharp and know when to take charge.

# living life abundantly   # published author   # travelling tuesdays