The Nashville Zoo is adding a white rhinoceros — a male, named "The Cheetah" — to the four females currently on exhibit. The zoo hopes the animals will eventually breed and increase the rhino population in the U.S.
All rhinoceros species are on the list of endangered animals, with white rhinos classified as "near threatened." About 30,000 rhinos of all species are left in the world, according to the International Rhino Foundation, a conservation group.
Preservationists and American zoos are trying to change that. Zoo officials say rhino exhibits — which allow visitors to see the mammals up close — are raising awareness about dangers to rhinos.
A few facts about these animals:
How close to extinction?
White rhinos were commonly found across southern Africa but were nearly hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. Estimates vary, but preservation efforts have increased their numbers to more than 19,000.
Most white rhinos live in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The four females at the Nashville Zoo came from South Africa.
Lust for horns feeds poaching frenzy
A dramatic rise in poaching threatens rhinos, according to the Nashville Zoo. Rhinos are hunted for their horns, which are valued as a status symbol and for medicinal purposes in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries.
Poaching isn't limited to Africa. A four-year old male white rhinoceros was shot dead in a wildlife park near Paris in March 2017 and one of its horns was taken. As a consequence, many zoos have increased security.
Though modern science says they have no medical value, horns can fetch up to $30,000 per pound on the black market. Conversely, a pound of gold is worth less than $20,000.
Rhino horns are not attached to their skulls. They grow from the skin. Male rhinos use their horns as threat displays or to wound others. Females use theirs to protect offspring. Horns are also used to dig for roots and below-ground water.
White rhinos aren't really white
White rhinos are usually gray in color. The name is believed to come from the Afrikaans word “wyd,” meaning wide, a description of the rhino’s mouth. English speakers mistook “wyd” for “white.” There are two white rhino species, the southern and northern.
Where do they live?
White rhinos live on the grasslands and open savanna woodlands of Africa. They're herbivores, feeding off short grasses. They drink water twice a day if available, but can live without drinking for 4-5 days. They usually lie in mud to cool off.
White rhinos move in herds, called crashes, which are mostly all female. Males are usually solitary.
Rhinos are extremely near-sighted, but they have excellent hearing and can smell other animals up to a quarter-mile away.
Preservation efforts continue in U.S. and Africa
Conservation groups have created preservation areas in Africa where rhinos are protected from poachers. In the U.S., law enforcement agencies are cracking down on trafficking in rhino horns.
Like the Nashville Zoo, a few other American zoos are attempting to breed rhinos. The gestation period can be up to 18 months, and newborn calves can weigh 80-140 lbs.
SOURCES Nashville Zoo; International Rhino Foundation; savetherhino.org; World Wide Fund for Nature; asiliaafrica.com; fresnochaffezoo.org; tulsazoo.org; buffalozoo.org; peoriazoo.org; pbs.org; PHOTOS Getty Images; GRAPHICS George Petras and Karl Gelles/USA TODAY