Temperament in this species is unpredictable. Because they see poorly, they can be dangerous when they charge toward a disturbing sound or smell, occasionally even tipping over a vehicle and its occupants. Rhinos reach sexual maturity between 5 and 9 years of age. Females usually give birth every 3 or 4 years to a single calf weighing close to 100 pounds. Black rhinos are very aggressive towards one another during non-estrus periods and mating is often preceded by the female attacking the male.
Males are solitary.
Females are usually found together with a calf and sometimes an older daughter. Territories are marked by spraying urine or by depositing dung piles. Although conflicts arise when strangers move through an occupied area, rhinos are usually tolerant of familiar rhinos in adjacent territories. Rhinos take mud and dust baths to keep cool and discourage biting insects. They feed primarily in the morning and evening on twigs and leaves and especially like to eat thorny vegetation.