A pair of eastern black rhinos make their way across the floor Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater in the late-afternoon African sun. Weighing in at one- to one-and-a-half tons and over 60 in. tall at the shoulder, this ill-tempered prehistoric throwback roams the savanna at will. Black rhino have a tendency to be less social than their cousins, the white rhino, but a mother and calf do remain quite bonded for up to four years.

At one time, over 30 species of rhinos could be found around the planet. Now there are only five. Two species, the black and the white, are found in East Africa. Both African species have two horns. A rhino’s poor eyesight is augmented by a strong sense of smell and good hearing (and the above-mentioned bad attitude). Left unharmed by man, a rhino can live 30 to 40 years in the wild.

Simon loved rhinoceroses, but painted surprisingly few. The Survivors was a personal favorite of his. - SC