All things rhino will be celebrated at Taronga Western Plains Zoo on Saturday for World Rhino Day.
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The zoo has extra cause to celebrate with white rhino Mopani four months pregnant. Mopani’s third calf will be due in 11 months.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo director Steve Hinks said about three rhinos were killed every day in the wild, making the zoo’s breeding program extremely important.
Mr Hinks said there were only 20,000 white rhino, 5000 black rhino and 3500 greater one-horned rhino left in the wild.
“The number one thing we can do is educate. These animals are poached for the medicinal properties of their horns, which is the same protein that makes up hair and fingernails. Biting your nails or chewing your hair would give you the same impact than anything that could be done from rhino horn.” he said.
Rhino keeper Tarryn Williams said the zoo had been very successful in its breeding programs, with two black rhino calves born last year and Mopani’s on the way.
The majority of work looking after a pregnant rhino comes before the pregnancy. It could be complicated getting the rhinos together at the right time, Ms Williams said, especially when it came to black rhinos which were usually solitary.
But do pregnant rhinos get cravings?
“Our goddies, which is like their chocolate that we feed them if we’re doing any training sessions are things like carrot and sweet potato and I’m sure if our females had it their way, especially when they’re pregnant they’d have ample amounts of that kind of thing,” Ms Williams said.
The zoo is holding a range of activities for World Rhino Day, including special rhino keeper talks, face painting, a guessing competition, kids’ activity trail and an information table where visitors can learn more about rhinos and snap a special selfie with the rhino frame.
People can also share their support by posting photos with #teamrhino or #WRD2018.