The Oligocene saw the rise of one of the largest terrestrial mammals of all time; the indricotheres. The namesake of this family, Indricotherium, was the largest of them all, towering above almost all the other animals that lived around them, browsing the highest of the trees and looking down at all other animals, being practically invincible. Despite looking like a giraffe, Indricotherium was actually an ancestor to rhinos.

Basic info

Meaning of name: Indricotherium means "near horn beast".

Time of existence: Indricotherium lived from the late to early Oligocene, 34 million to 23 million years ago.

Diet: Indricotherium fed on leaves and flowers from high trees, as well as shrubs and bushes. They were among the only animals here able to reach there.

Threats: Although adults were safe from almost every predator that lived around them, Indricotherium calves were in danger from many of the terrifying mammalian predators that lurked around them.

Size: Indricotherium grew to a height of 18 feet.

An Indricotherium towers over the landscape

Attributes: Indricotherium's sheer size was its most important attribute, as it allowed it to feed from very high trees, and avoid predation. They also had a prehensile upper lip like their modern ancestors, the rhinoceros. They also had good senses of smell. Mothers would also care for their calves for the first three years of their lives.

A mother Indricotherium shields her young calf as two other adults approach

Appearances in the Walking with... series

Walking with Beast

Indricotherium makes an appearance in the opening, where two are seen fighting.

Indricotherium in the opening

Episode 1-New Dawn

Indricotherium makes a brief appearance in the opening synopsis, where a herd is seen on a plains and one walks near the camera.

Episode 2-Whale Killer

Indricotherium appears in the credits of the episode. Here is a list of actions seen:
A small herd wandering on a plain
A mother driving her old calf away
An Indricotherium walking on a plain while a Cynodictis watches
Two males fighting
A calf charging at the camera

Episode 3-Land of Giants

A mother Indricotherium and her calf serve as the main focus of the episode, although they are only referred to as "indricotheres".  The episode begins at night, where we see a pregnant female wander into a canyon to give birth. She squats down a bit and roars, finally giving birth after two years being pregnant. The calf is a male, and no sooner is he waking up, already in danger. The mother roars and stands over her calf as two massive predators called Hyenadon emerge from the darkness, hoping to get an easy meal. The mother continues to stomp and shake her head at them, trying to keep the baby between her legs, though at one point she does charge one of the Hyenadon, only for the other to make a move. The fight continues well into the night, with the calf being lucky if he even sees the sun.

The mother Indricotherium defends her calf from two hungry Hyenadon

The next morning reveals that the mother was able to ward off the Hyenadon, and her calf gets up, calling and attempting to walk, which will take all morning for him to learn. Once he is able to stand, he begins to suckle milk, as his mom stands guard, watching for any more predators.

The Indricotherium calf takes his first steps

Later, the mother Indricotherium is seen arriving at a watering hole, needing a drink, though her calf is nowhere to be seen. However, two other visitors of the watering hole, Entelodons, begin to get into a violent fight. This is enough to put off even an Indricotherium, and she turns away and leaves. We then see the calf lying motionless. It appears to be dead, but the moment it is startled, it suddenly calls and rises, running off and finding a new spot. As it turns out, he is playing dead, and intentionally lying still to avoid attention from any predators. His mother soon returns from the watering hole, and they immediately greet each other. For another week, mother and son stay in the canyon until suddenly the mother decides it is time for them to leave. The calf is now strong enough to move out to the open plains, and he is seen running towards a large herd of adults, meandering across the plains. One adult walks across the land, knowing no other land mammal comes close to it, and a small bear dog watches. The calf is eager to explore his new world, but immediately startles an angry bear-dog mother, who scares him off. He immediately runs back to his mother, who comforts him. Later, the mother is seen smelling a pile of dung, and, copying his mom, the calf does the same. He is unaware of the fact that this will later help him identify which other animals are in the area. As the mother shows her calf their new feeding area, a juvenile male Indricotherium arrives, just over three years old. The mother quickly takes defensive stance and stomps the ground, driving the newcomer away. Unknown to the calf, he is in fact looking at his own future; this individual was the mother's old calf. The mother roars in annoyance as he leaves, knowing she has no time for him now that she has another mouth to feed. Two months later, the dry season begins, and we see the mother feeding from a tree, having the tops of the trees all to herself. The calf gets excited as the leaves fall and he hops around in a playful manner. Despite being only two months old and not needing to eat, he once again imitates his mother eating, which will help him learn which plants are safe to eat. However, it is a bad time for him to wander off, as nearby, a Hyenadon is stalking. Luckily, the calf is in no danger, as the predator instead attacks one of the nearby Chalicotherium. We cut to three months, and the dry season has completely changed the landscape. The mother Indricotherium is no longer producing milk, as she is dehydrated and hasn't found water for several days. The calf is now nine months old, but he still relies on his mother's milk, and as he tries to suckle, the mother stomps her foot, telling him to back off. For an adult, dehydration isn't as big of an issue; they can survive for up to sixty days without water. But for the calf, he is in trouble, as he is getting weak. As night falls, the mother begins to travel in search of water with her calf, as it is cooler and easier to move around. They end up encountering an old female, who joins up with them and decides to help the two find water, leading them to a small lake. The three begin to drink, the calf just moments from collapsing. Luckily, he will be able to quench his thirst, though he will still have to wait for milk. After this, they all lie down to get some sleep. The next morning, the calf awakens and wakes up his mother, as he is still hungry. The mother responds this time, and allows him to suckle, as she now has milk.

The three Indricotherium travel in search of water

When the rains come, both the mother and calf stand, being drenched by it in annoyance as they feed, the mother pinning her ears back, and the calf seemingly not liking the rain. The next day, there is a river where none was before. The pair must cross it in their search for food, and the mother wades into it. At first, the calf has no desire to join his mother, but upon realizing that there's a chance that he might be left behind, he quickly gets in and follows his mother, having to swim across. As it turns out, it is the easy part, as he now has to climb the slippery bank, as unlike his mom, he won't make it in one step. The mother roars in encouragement, as she is unable to do anything to help him, and he is soon able to make it, though he doesn't like the fact he is on his own and he slips down a couple times. Once he is on sturdy ground, he and his mom reconcile. The calf is next seen trying to suckle again, but now being a year old, he is weened off of it and now must feed himself. The mother stomps as she browses the tops of the trees, and the baby soon decides to join her in eating the greens. The wet season not only marks the end of the good life for the calf, but also the mating season of the Indricotherium. A young male has caught the scent of a responsive female, which happens to be the calf's mother. The calf looks in confusion at the newcomer, not pleased with his arrival, and the mother shares his feelings, as she begins to move away, annoyed by the male's presence. However, a second older male arrives, and pees to establish his arrival. The other male isn't intimidated, and the two begin to fight in a manner similar to giraffes, hitting each other with their necks. Half an hour later, the older male finally backs down, and the winner returns to the mother. The calf watches in confusion as the newcomer breeds with her, trying to headbutt the male in the leg, though all he gets is an accidental kick in the face. Realizing he's going to have to put up with this for a long time, the calf looks at the ground in defeat. We then cut to two years later, where the mother is seen once again pregnant. The calf is with her, now three years old, and scratching his back on a tree. As night falls, mother and son fall asleep together for the last time, as the next morning will change everything. The next morning, the mother drives the calf away, knowing that if she doesn't, there will be no chance of her new calf surviving. As she chases him away, the calf wanders into the desert, now realizing he is on his own, and now must make his own living. A few weeks later, the calf has an implied run in with a young adult Indricothere, and the confrontation ends in the calf receiving a limp. He decides to return to his mother, who is suckling her new calf. As soon as the youngster arrives in her vicinity, she stomps her feet and charges towards him, driving him away once again. Although it seems harsh, the mother has given him the best possible start in life, and now must do the same with her new calf. The new calf watches as the newcomer wanders back into the desert, unaware that in three years time, he too will be driven away.

The mother suckles her new calf

Three months go by with no sign of the calf, and it is easy to assume the worst. However, he suddenly reappears one day back in his old territory. His limp has healed, and he now seems in good health, though he is very dangerously close to an Entelodon. However, he charges and sends the bully running from him. It is clear that there is no reason to worry about his safety, as this Indricotherium is now big enough to take care of himself. The episode ends on a humorous note, with the calf charging at the camera and knocking it over while calling before walking away.