September 22 is World Rhino Day! This holiday not only recognizes just how incredible these animals are but also advocates for their conservation.
According to Dr. Jo Shaw, CEO of Save the Rhino International, “On World Rhino Day it is important to reflect on the successes and challenges of rhino conservation globally.” Some of the recent rhino conservation successes include an increase in global rhino numbers. At the end of 2022, the world rhino population reached 27,000.
Still, there is more work to be done to save threatened rhino species. Learn more about these creatures and how you can help them with the list of rhino facts below.
Indian Forest Service employees have shared footage suggesting that lions and tigers do not always own the right of way in their respective domains.
Indian Forest Service employees have shared footage suggesting that lions and tigers do not always own the right of way in their respective domains.
Ramesh Pandey’s footage shows a napping tiger smartly dashing off to allow a large elephant to pass on a forest trail.
“Lord of the jungle versus King of the forest. Here the titans avoid a clash and give space to each other,” Pandey described in his X post.
That drew a response from Susanta Nanda, who posted footage showing two male lions waking and exiting a trail to allow two rhinos to pass. (Both clips are featured below.)
Make way for Ruby, the new Southern White Rhinoceros calf at Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, Florida. Born on Aug. 6, the healthy calf marks the park’s third rhino birth in less than a year. Ruby’s birth contributes to the White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan, a countrywide effort to protect species from extinction. Since 1979, Lion Country Safari has recorded 39 rhino calf births at the park.
“Both the calf and mom are spending quality time bonding together in a maternity area, and will be visible to guests from their cars in the drive-through safari,” the park said in a press release.
BIG news! Say hello to Ruby, a white 🦏 calf born last week! She's the 3rd 🦏 born here in less than a year & she's part of a #conservation program to save rhinos from extinction! Ruby & mom, Blossom, will be visible in a maternity area in the Hwange habitat in the safari. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Whw0doD0yQ
While the park hasn’t weighed Ruby yet, official estimates place the newborn at about 100 pounds. In the first three years of life, a baby rhino can gain about 1,000 pounds annually. The calf nurses for two years and gains about 3 or 4 pounds daily. Park officials will monitor Ruby’s growth to ensure her health and safety.
Ruby’s birth makes 7-year-old rhino Blossom a first-time mother. According to Lion Country Safari, “Blossom’s family line is considered underrepresented in the population; each offspring’s genes are important to the overall diversity and health of the population under human care and to the conservation of the species.”
Classified by the World Wildlife Fund as “near threatened,” the Southern White Rhinoceros population faces threats such as poaching and habitat loss. In the 1970s, the species approached extinction with a population under 1,000. Thanks to conservation efforts, the white rhino population is now estimated at 18,000-20,000.
Currently, Lion Country Safari houses 16 white rhinos, including 12 females and 4 males. The park also participates in the American Institute of Rhinoceros Science (AIRS) research program to help ensure healthy rhino populations.
Track Ruby’s journey via the Lion Country Safari Twitter account.
