The difference between hair and fur is simply in word usage. Often, what people think of as fur is just thick hair.

Early humans killed furred animals for food, the fur being a byproduct used for protection and warmth. Civilization shifted the use of fur toward fashion rather than protection, and increasingly, the slaughter of exotic, non-prey, furred animals became a major industry that helped drive the expansion of civilization into the wilderness. Furred animals come with many shapes, sizes, capabilities, behavioral characteristics, and habitats.

For instance: Rhinoceroses have a very good sense of smell and hearing, but poor eyesight. They can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and are extremely agile, especially for their size of up to 16 feet and 3,500 pounds. Of the 5 species, 3 are considered critically endangered, killed for their horns, which are used in Chinese medicines and as status symbols of wealth and power in some Asian countries. There are likely fewer than 25,000 rhinoceroses remaining in the wild. The Java rhinoceros may be the rarest known wild land animal on Earth with only 60 left alive, all in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia. Despite once having populated all of central Africa, the northern white rhino has been brought to the very edge of extinction by hunting. Only 2 northern white rhinos remain alive—2 females, closely guarded by Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC) in Kenya. The last surviving male died March 20, 2018.