African native being ironic, you say? I disagree (5)

I believe the answer is:

rhino

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'african native being' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both animals as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for rhino that I've seen before include "greens" , "Ready" , "Horny creature" , "Charging animal" , "African/Asian ungulate" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.