These Baby Rhinos Sound More Like Whales Than Rhinos-and People Are Obsessed
TikToker Jaz is in her final year of wildlife veterinary school, which means she gets to spend her days around all kinds of incredible animals, including the adorable baby rhinos featured in this video. And while most people associate rhinos with snorts, grunts, and thunderous footsteps, whales probably aren't the first thing that comes to mind. After watching this clip, though, that might change.
A group of rhinos is called a crash, which seems fitting given their impressive size, but these little ones are challenging everything we thought we knew about the species. Be sure to turn the sound on for this one; the baby rhinos make surprisingly high-pitched, melodic calls that sound far more like whales than any land animal, and viewers can't get enough of the unexpected noises.
@vetstudent.jaz Or a creaky door #rhino#wildlife
original sound - Jaz
Jaz joked in the caption that not only do they sound like whales, but they may also sound like a creaky door, and she's not wrong!
One commenter pointed out, "They don't sound the way I thought they would," and @smfarabs pointed out, "Hungry, whiny kids are pretty much the same no matter the species!"
Related: Baby Rhino With a Serious Case of the Zoomies Is the Cutest Thing on the Internet
SIGN UP to get "pawsitivity" delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends
What Sounds Do Baby Rhinos Make?
Some animals are known for being incredibly vocal, like dogs and monkeys, while others tend to seem much quieter, like rabbits and rhinos. Most people don't realize, however, that rhinos actually have a surprisingly wide range of sounds they use to communicate.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, rhinos make different vocalizations depending on how they're feeling. During confrontations, they may growl or make "trumpet calls." Black rhinos snort when they're angry, make sneeze-like alarm calls, scream when frightened, and even produce a soft "mmwonk" sound when they're relaxed.
But vocalizations aren't their only form of communication. Rhinos also communicate through scent, using communal dung piles known as latrines. By smelling the urine and droppings left by other rhinos, they can identify which rhinos have been in the area and gather information about their neighbors.
As for the baby rhinos in this video, according to the Earth Touch News Network, they're hoping their human "moms" will bring more food. They joke, "Forget Hungry, Hungry Hippos, really ravenous rhinos take hangry to a whole new level."
Another fun rhino fact: their eyesight is notoriously poor. According to WWF, a rhino may struggle to see a motionless person standing less than 100 feet away, relying instead on its excellent sense of smell and hearing. Suddenly, the fact that a group of rhinos is called a "crash" seems a lot funnier, though we're pretty sure their naming committee had something else in mind.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 4:00 PM.