World Rhino Day is approaching and Dubbo residents will be able to celebrate the animals and raise awareness of their plight with a number of fun activities at the zoo.
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World Rhino Day is officially on Monday September 22, but Taronga Western Plains Zoo are marking the occasion this weekend with two days of special events.
Rhino face painting, a jumping castle and rhino art will all be available at the zoo for a gold coin, which will be donated to the International Rhino Foundation.
Visitors to the zoo will also be able to hear keeper talks about the rhinos or can follow the rhino trail.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo has three species of rhinoceros-black, white and greater one-horned- and 16 rhinos in total.
Rhino keeper Nerida Taylor said black rhinos are critically endangered, but since the zoo introduced the black rhino breeding program in 1994 it has produced 11 black rhino calves, with another on the way.
"In 2007, 13 rhinos were poached for their horn, the latest figures (out September 3) say 736 have been poached and that's just the African species."
Ms Taylor said the increase is due in part to the increase in the number of middle-class citizens in Africa who can now afford to buy rhino horn on the black market. As such, rhino horn is seen as a symbol of wealth.
Rhinos are also poached for their horns to be used as medicine.
"We're trying to spread the word that rhino horn is not medicinal. It's been scientifically proven. It's made of the same substance as your hair or fingernails," Ms Taylor said.
She said while it is too late to stop the older generations, the goal is to educate younger citizens about rhino horn in the hope they don't take up poaching.
World Rhino Day began in South Africa in 2010 and has since grown around the world.