| | Rhinos’ Feet |
| 1 | | The secret of how rhinos carry |  |
| | their huge bodyweight on such |
| | stumpy feet is being |
| | investigated by scientists keen |
| | to make life easier for animals |
| | in captivity. They often have |
| | problems with their feet and |
| | though keepers can ease the |
| | pain by trimming them, more |
| | knowledge is needed to ensure |
| | critical pressure points aren’t |
| | being [id:99300] . |
| 2 | | Rhinos have just small feet with three toes which are spread evenly |
| | across the foot. Little is actually known about the mechanics of how |
| | rhinos’ feet are able to bear their heavy weight on such a small surface |
| | area. To help unravel this mystery a team from the Royal Veterinary |
| | College (RVC) in London has trained rhinos to walk over a sensor board |
| | with electronic pressure pads and through a thin passageway. The sensor |
| | board then measures where in their feet the rhinos put most pressure. |
| | [id:99301] having health benefits for animals with sore feet, understanding how |
| | these huge animals deal with their weight could help people to design |
| | load-bearing structures, such as vehicles or buildings. |
| | |
| | dailymail.co.uk, 2012 |
