Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

While visiting the Indian Rhinoceros habitat, we grabbed a bucket of chopped celery and proceeded to feed and pet an adorable titan, Gram the rhino. The first thought that went through my mind when I saw Gram was how massive he really was as he ambled towards us. His head was at least as long as my torso and his giant mouth looked like a small pink cave that could fit an entire human head in it.

Besides being impressed with the sheer size of him, I was also deeply curious about his skin and the trademark of the rhino, its horn. His skin’s main characteristics were its wrinkled texture and its toughness. Rubbing my hand against it reminded me of old boiled leather armor, which is an extremely tough material. The horn itself was almost a let down. I was expecting a horn that had the same smooth texture as deer antlers or elephant horns, even though I knew that all three were different materials. The horn itself was not sharp and glossy but rather frayed and rounded. After encountering this brawny titan I’ve come away with a sense of urgency for preserving these creatures; if not for the humanity in the act then for the simple pleasure gained in watching them and the wonder that they inspire.

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