Nosalis Rhino

The Nosalis Rhino (frequently shortened to just Rhino and known also as Big Momma) is a massive nosalis leader battled in Metro: Last Light, the equivalent to a brood mother or alpha female.

Overview
The Rhino derives its name from its method of attack - frequently a linear charge fashion, like that of a wild boar or rhino. The Rhino is a monster wrapped in legend. So much so that it appears that even the Rangers of Sparta hold it in great reverence, most likely falsely fearing it as a contributor to the supernatural occurrences felt underground in the catacombs.

When attacking, the rhino may damage enemies and allies alike if they stand in its way, becoming exploitable, since the player can use this to his advantage by maneuvering around the battlefield. The beast is vulnerable from the back and the head.

The Rhino is encountered at the end of the Undercity level and serves as a two-part bossfight. In both areas, the Rhino can be defeated in two different ways. Firstly, and most conventionally, the Rhino can be killed by simply taking enough damage, as, despite its size, concentrated gunfire to its weak points will down it relatively quickly. Dependent on the difficulty and the amount of ammunition the player has at the time, however, this strategy is best avoided as the second strategy - having the Rhino destroy both area's stone supports by running into them - requires next to no bullets to successfully perform. Despite its introduction, the Rhino is an easy opponent to deal with if methods are right, but that doesn't mean Rhino can be underestimated; the damage it deals by charging can be fatal on higher difficulties, also it will have weaker Nosalis supporting it. However, the beast's movement is predictable, if Artyom can keep a distance, and have an eye on Rhino's whereabout, he can easily keep out of harm's way.

After taking some damage, or destroying all pillars in the first area, the Rhino will knock down a wall and retreat. When Artyom follows it into the second area, it will be helped by two regular nosalises. This support acts mostly defensively - with one nosalis hopping onto the Rhino's back that must be dealt with before the back can be shot at again. Though the first area can be completed without firing a shot, the second area must be completed by damaging the Rhino after she has destroyed all of the support.

It's a good strategy to use claymore mines against the Rhino, since they deal tremendous damage and are rather easy to use against an enemy that keeps charging the player. On Ranger Basic and Ranger Hardcore, the second part of the fight can be ended with a single claymore mine.

Trivia

 * In the Theatre Station, Artyom can overhear children likening these creatures to elephants, which an elderly man seems to agree to, saying that there used to be elephants at the zoo right before the war.
 * When the player first encounters the Rhino, a rare glitch will sometimes occur after falling off the bridge where it will stand in the arena and not move, but will look at the player if they get close enough. The only way to counteract this glitch is to restart the system and then restart the level.
 * Curiously, the Rhino appears to have multiple teats, indicating that Nosalis are mammals, and suckle milk from their brood mother. It's unknown whether there is only the one Rhino (which Artyom kills) or many.
 * It's possible that they're derived from the Rhino Mouse, a unique species of mice that are afflicted with range of skin or nail disorders cause by glandular problems causing them to be very thick skinned and resistant to the elements. If this is the case, it could mean that all Nosalis are, in fact, derived from the Rhino Mouse. The explanation of the Flying Nosalis would be then that the radiation caused the separate gene pools of mice and bats to be able to integrate.