Rhinos are rare and endangered animals, as most people know.\u00a0 Hunted to near extinction for their horns — used in traditional Asian medicine and for making dagger handles — they now mostly survive in protected areas and zoos.\u00a0 They’ve made a modest comeback, and hopefully the trend will continue.<\/p>\n

I’ve only ever seen 4 rhinos in the wild, all in the Ngorongoro Crater.\u00a0 They’re magnificent animals — imposing, unforgettable.\u00a0 In the above photo, the massive lumbering rhino is contrasted with dozens of small, graceful Thompson gazelles (Tommies) leaping across the floor of the crater.\u00a0 I wish I’d captured the scene on video.\u00a0 It sort of crystallized the African game-watching experience for me\u00a0 — the great admixture and fluid interactions of all the animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \t