World Rhino Day

To celebrate World Rhino Day here’s TEN interesting facts about the amazing animal:

  1. The black rhino is the smaller of the two African species
  2. Black rhinos are one of the oldest living mammals in the world
  3. There is no skin colour difference between the white and black rhino – they are both dark grey in colour
  4. Rhinos only have hair on their ears, tail tips and eyelashes
  5. Black rhinos have two horns which continually grow throughout their whole life
  6. Black Rhinos are smaller than white rhinos
  7. Black rhinos have a hooked lip as opposed to a flat based lip (this is due to their eating habits)
  8. Despite having an amazing sense of smell and excellent hearing, black rhinos have poor eyesight and cannot detect anything that’s more than 30 metres away
  9. The record running speed of a black rhino is 55 km/h
  10. Black Rhinos are under significant threat from poaching for the international horn trade

Between 1970 and 1992, the population of black rhinos declined by 96% to 2,300 from a devastating period of poaching for their horns. Their horns are used to make ornamental crowns, cups and ceremonial daggers as well as for herbal medicine. Demand for rhino horn is still rising. However, thanks to global conservation and anti-poaching efforts since 1992, black rhino numbers have steadily risen to around 5,000 individuals.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation are proud supporters of Save the Rhino, a charity committed to conserving rhino species across the world.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation have also funded two key projects to protect both the black and white rhinos across Kenya, which are currently under severe threat from poachers. YWPF funds will support anti-poaching initiatives at the Ol Jogi Game Reserve, and fund the construction of two new enclosures to care for orphaned and injured rhinos.

A further grant will aid improvements in Ol Jogi’s communication systems, including digital radios, so staff can keep track of poaching threats. The Foundation schemes were welcomed by Cathy Dean, Save the Rhino International CEO, who described the grants as ‘astonishing’.

Help YWPF support this amazing animal by donating today!