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what do these scratches look like to you:

inflicted by a predator? scratches from bushes? or maybe the result of some skin desease?



by the way, it had similiar scratches on his left shoulder

Dear Ice

Please note that animals do fight from time to time. This rhino could have been involved in a fight. May you please provide me with details such as when did you spotted this animal and where in the park, so that i can just double check with the section ranger concerned.

Looks like a fight with anoher bull maybe.

Ice, the lesions on Black Rhino are due to a worm infection and the vector is a fly that spreads it between black rhinos. Although unsightly it is not fatal and strangely white rhino do not get this infection. The lesions always seem to be behind the forelegs.

Look Here

to me, these scratches do not look like they were inflicted by another rhino since they are very superficial...I am not even sure if this is a bull

one other thing:

I am pretty sure I spotted the same rhino three days earlier - I just double checked and at that time it had no such wounds

You will often see 'scratches' like this on rhinos. They love wallowing in mud and their skin gets covered with layers of mud and fine dust as the mud wears off. They then will rub on trees and rocks to rid themselves of suffocated parasites and relieve itches. The result looks like scratches, but is superficial.

Duke gave you the correct information regarding the blackish lesion on the side near the shoulder.