230 The White Rhinoceros in Zululand 
Character and Habits. 
All species of rhinoceroses have certain characteristics which they 
share in common, these being sluggishness, a low order of intelligence 
and, generally, timidly of disposition, though the black African species 
often becomes extremely savage when attacked. 
The white species is a very stolid, phlegmatic creature, nervous to 
a degree, without the truculent aggressiveness of the black, and but 
a fraction of the latter’s curiosity. 
I consider the white rhinoceros a far less intelligent creature than 
the black species: curiosity surely denotes a certain amount of 
intelligence, but it, has always appeared to me that the former never 
displays the slightest curiosity, he takes things as they come, and does 
not seem to worry about anything, being too lazy to permit himself to 
be worried. 
The question whether certain animals will attack, and under what 
circumstances they will do so, is one which has aroused considerable 
interest and not a little difference of opinion. It will probably be 
conceded that only the testimony of those who have had a wide 
experience of the animals they write of is of any real value in deciding 
the question. For instance, a man who has shot perhaps two or three 
lions in his time, neither of which showed fight, is apt to look upon 
Felis leo as being a pusillanimous creature, while he who has only 
bagged one, and was charged by it, would probably give it a very 
different character. Morever, it is dithcult to judge by the behaviour 
of an animal under one set of circumstances what another of the species 
might do under similar or other circumstances. 
Although I have had wide expience in various parts of Africa with 
elephant, lion, buffalo, and black rhinoceros, I do not consider that the 
fact of having shot half-a-dozen white rhinoceroses qualifies me to 
speak with any authority upon the proneness or otherwise of the latter 
to attack. 
I have stated that I do not consider my experience of the white 
rhinoceros when wounded to have been sufficient to warrant an 
expression of opinion as to their aggresiveness or otherwise under such 
conditions, but I have seen a great deal of them in their wild state, 
when not attacked, and at close quarters, and I assert without fear of 
contradiction, that with but very few exceptions, they are amongst 
the most inoffensive of beasts. Of the six which I have shot, only 
one ever made the slightest attempt to charge, and that was the 
