Name of the animal: Indian rhinoceros/Great one-horned rhinoceros

Young ones: Calves

Food: The Indian rhinoceros is herbivorous and primarily eats tall reed grass, leaves, fruits but also consumes a variety of aquatic plants and crops. They use their prehensile lips to grasp and tear plants and even use their legs to flatten tall grass or saplings to make them easier to eat.

Life span: 35-45 years

Sound/s: Indian rhinos make a variety of sounds including grunts, honks, sneezes, growls, and squeaks, to communicate in different situations. They also use other markers, like scent marking with urine and dung, and body language, to communicate dominance, mating interest, and warnings. 

Habitat: Their native habitat is characterized by tall grasslands, swamps, and forests in the alluvial floodplains of the Himalayas, specifically in India and Nepal. They prefer areas with abundant water, food, and mud for wallowing, which helps them regulate body temperature and protect their skin from insects. They typically reside in protected areas in the states of Assam and West Bengal, and parts of Nepal.

Other facts:

• Aka the Indian rhinoceros, great one-horned rhinoceroses are the largest of three species of Asian rhinoceroses. While males are larger and heavier, females have a narrower, often longer horn. Moreover, males take longer to reach sexual maturity than females.
• Female rhinos with a slightly thinner skull and a narrower horn base weigh up to 1,600 kg while male rhinos with massive neck and collar folds weigh upto 2,200 kg and run at the speed of 55 km/hour. Male and female rhinos are distinguished by their ‘shield plating’ and single horn.
• They have sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell yet poor eyesight. They find one another by following each other’s scented trails. Despite their bulky body, they are agile and can jump or change direction quickly.
• An estimated 3,323 greater one-horned rhinos survive in India, according to a 2025 report by the International Rhino Foundation