Today, Wednesday, September 22, is World Rhino Day, a day to acknowledge and raise awareness about the five remaining Rhinoceros species on our planet; the Black Rhino, White Rhino, Greater One-Horned Rhino, Sumatran Rhino and Javan Rhino.
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Taronga Western Plains Zoo is home to three out of these five species.
We have conservation breeding programs in place for the Black Rhino, White Rhino and Greater One-horned Rhinos and are doing our part to secure a safe future for these incredible animals.
We are lucky enough to get a glimpse into their unique personalities and feel a rich sense of pride with every breeding success.
Our most recent Black Rhino calf, Sabi Star, is now seven months old and full of personality.
She is a confident, inquisitive and cheeky young female and has bonded well with her keepers.
Her mother, Bakhita, continues to be a fantastic, nurturing mentor for her calf. Sabi Star is now eating all of the same foods as her mum but still suckles from mum.
With the recent warmer weather, the pair have been wallowing and playing in the mud more frequently and enjoying morning naps in the sunshine.
Sabi Star is the 15th Black Rhino calf to be born at Zoo since the program began in 1994.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo has had a long history of Rhino conservation.
The White Rhinoceros program began back in the 1980s, resulting in 14 calves.
We are the only institution in Australasia where you can see three Rhinoceros species.
In addition to our work onsite, we are very proud to be partnered with rhino conservation organisations in both Africa and Asia.
Wild Rhinoceros are facing a series of threats in their natural habitat, with humans largely contributing to their dwindling population numbers.
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Poaching for their keratin horn, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict are the main reasons that all five species are threatened with extinction.
Rhino protection units form the frontline in conserving these magnificent creatures for generations to come.
This World Rhino Day, help us spread the word and create awareness that Rhinos are worth more alive.
Even though our gates are closed at the moment, we are still working to support our rhino conservation partners in Africa and Asia.
You can contribute to this critical conservation work by becoming a Wildlife Defender today at https://taronga.org.au/donate/wildlife-defender
