If you have ever been on safari and been lucky enough to spot one of the few remaining rhinos in the wild, you may be familiar with their characteristic grumpiness.
Rhinos have a reputation for aggressive behaviour and if you get too close, they won’t hesitate to try and bully you away. However, in reality, rhinos are extremely shy and only want to be left alone, to wander in peace.
They have a great sense of smell and sound, but their eyesight is not the best. Perhaps this is why they would rather just be left alone; they don’t know who it is that’s approaching them! Is that you mum!?
African Folklore
There are many different tales, originating from many different places, about Rhino. How he got his skin, how he got his horn and how he got so bad-tempered. One of which describes the day in which God gave all the animals a needle for which to sow their coats, which they would wear for the rest of time.
Many animals did extremely well on this day. Leopard sewed herself a beautiful coat that would keep her warm in the chilly nights of the savannah whilst also keeping her hidden from prying tourists.
Whilst all the animals were hard at work, making their coats with the needle that God provided them, Rhino was struggling. The needle was too small for his big hooves and after trying for a long time he threw the needle to the ground and kicked it into the bushes.
Rhino, feeling very clever at avoiding the work, wandered off to enjoy some peaceful alone time. When all the other animals had finished making their thick coats, all the fleas and insects and creepy crawlies in the savannah found that it was no longer so easy to annoy the animals. There was no way to penetrate through Lion’s thick mane or Porcupine’s spiky exterior.
There was one animal who could still be annoyed though and so all the fleas and insects and creepy crawlies descended on Rhino and bit him, stung him and harassed him all day.
Eventually, Rhino came charging back to the place where he threw away his needle and desperately searched for it. All the while he was being bitten and stung by all the insects of the savannah.
He desperately searched for the other animals to try and find a needle to use but he couldn’t concentrate through the cloud of insects and his eyesight was never very good. Eventually, Rhino found a big thorn and an even bigger coat, and he tried to sew it to fit him.
In all the confusion, Rhino’s new coat did not fit him at all. It hung in deep folds and wrinkles and made Rhino look very old. When he eventually found the other animals, they all laughed at him for his new coat.
Rhino became very angry and every time he saw another animal with a beautiful coat, he was reminded of his saggy one. That is why Rhino charges at the other animals when he sees them. To this day, Rhino roams the Savannah alone to try and find the needle that God gave him.