Rhinoceros, Woolly (3pp)

This creature has massive legs and a stout body with a thick coat of brown fur. From the tip of its elongated nose rise two curving horns.

ECOLOGY

Environment cold and temperate forests, marshes and plains
Organization solitary or herd (2–8)
Treasure none

The woolly rhino is an herbivore of the Pleistocene era feeding mainly on various plants, nuts, berries, and bark, as well as large quantities of water. Thus, it is usually found in areas plentiful with water, such as riverbanks, lakes, and even marshes and swamps. The woolly rhino usually forages in the morning so encounters are more common at this time. It is mostly a solitary creature though chance encounters at a common foraging area may lead to encounters with more than one creature. Herds tend to gather near watering grounds with the females surrounding the young.

Woolly rhinos mate during the late summer or early fall. Gestation lasts about 450 days after which time the female gives birth to a single calf. Calves are dependent on their mother for about the first two years of their life. Around three years of age, the calf becomes completely independent and reaches maturity by age five.

The woolly rhino averages about 11 feet long and has two ivory horns, the longest averaging about three feet in length. Its body is covered in a thick layer of black, brown, ruddy, or yellowish-brown fur that enable it to withstand its harsh climate. The creature has poor eyesight, and relies on its senses of hearing and smell to locate sources of food and warn of impending danger.

The woolly rhino is generally passive, but reacts violently if it or its herd is threatened. It attacks by goring and trampling its foes, often opening combat by charging its foe.