The portable airconditioner of the bush.

Rhinos are huge. You look at them and really wonder at them cuz they look like they are from a different time. Almost dinosaur in size and shape and the black rhinos have a mean disposition. Those have been hunted to near extinction all for the horn. These are white rhinos, so called by the early settlers who were of Dutch extraction and referred to them as 'weit' meaning wide mouth rhinos. The English came along and figured it was 'white' and we are now stuck with that nomeclature. White rhinos are more placid and considerably bigger than black rhinos. They live in the grasslands and their mouth is perfect for eating grass.

These two mother and calf, have obviously been cooling off in a mud wallow. The idea being you sit in the mud and roll around in it cake yourself all over with the wet cool slimy mud. Then as it dries off it cools you down. Like a portable airconditioner. Then the side benefit is when it is all dried up you scrape it off on a convenient tree or a rock and all those pesky ticks and bloodsucking parasites that are on your skin are sloughed off by the mud being scraped off. Exfoliation in the bush. Most Large mammals do this, in fact even warthogs who are not really that big use the same technique.

This cute little guy has been busy at it as well. Literally coated like icing on a cake. Too cute.