A rhinoceros moves forward through dry savannah grass, viewed from a low frontal angle that emphasises the animal’s weight and forward motion. Sparse vegetation and a subdued sky establish an open landscape without specific landmarks. The rhinoceros is constructed through dense applications of grey, brown and umber oil paint, with surface texture used to describe skin folds and accumulated earth. Scraped and reworked passages are visible across the ground plane. David Shepherd painted this work in the context of his extensive African travels in the second half of the twentieth century, during which rhinoceroses became a recurring subject. The painting aligns with Shepherd’s wider body of wildlife studies made alongside conservation campaigns, reflecting sustained attention to species facing habitat loss and population decline across the continent.