World Rhino Day

When is World Rhino Day celebrated?

World Rhino Day takes place every year on the 22nd of September. It’s celebrated by animal rescues, charities, and individuals around the world.

Why do we have World Rhino Day?

World Rhino Day provides an opportunity to share information and organise events designed to raise awareness about rhinos. Rhinos are critically endangered, so we need everyone to understand how unique and vulnerable they are.

It’s especially important to raise awareness of the plight of rhinos because they are regularly poached for their horns which are sold illegally and used in traditional medicine — despite no scientific proof that these remedies work.

Is World Rhino Day always on Sunday?

No. World Rhino Day takes place on the same date (22nd September) every year. It falls on different days of the week.

6 facts about Rhinos

1. There are five species of rhino left in the world; black, white, Sumatran, Javan, and Greater one-horned rhinos. The western black rhino was declared extinct in 2011.
2. Only white and black rhinos live in Africa. The other three species are found in Asia.
3. Black and white rhinos are about the same height (1.4 to 1.8m tall) but white rhinos can weigh twice as much as black rhinos.
4. White rhinos aren’t actually white. Their name comes from a misunderstanding of the Afrikaans word “wyd” which refers to their wide lips.
5. Rhino horns are made from keratin, just like human fingernails and hair. Rhinos are poached for their horns which are used in traditional Asian medicine and for ornaments.
6. African rhinos have a gestation period of around 16 months and give birth to one calf every two to three years. This slow reproduction rate is why rhino numbers take so long to recover from excessive hunting.

Rhinos are targeted for their horns

African rhinos desperately need protection. The near-threatened white rhino is at serious risk with just 16,803 living wild, while the black rhino is critically endangered with only around 6,487 left in the wild. One subspecies of rhino, the western black rhino, became extinct in 2011. Urgent action is needed to prevent more rhino species from facing the same fate.

The main threats to rhinos come from humans. They are poached for their horns which are used in traditional medicine to treat everything from cancer to hangovers, despite no evidence that the remedies work.

Rhino horns are also used to create decorative objects, such as handles for ceremonial daggers known as jambiyas. This high demand makes these animals extremely valuable to poachers who kill an average of 10 African rhinos each week.

Join our fight against the exploitation and commodification of wild animals. Can you lend your voice?

Rhino FAQS

Are rhinos extinct?

Five rhino species remain in the wild, though the black rhino is critically endangered. One subspecies, the western black rhino, is extinct and the last male northern white rhino died in captivity in 2018.

Can rhinos swim?

Black and white rhinos can’t swim well and prefer to stay in shallow water. The other three species of rhino can swim well. All rhinos love to bathe in wet mud to keep cool.

Are rhinos dangerous?

Rhinos are rarely aggressive but can charge humans if they feel the need to protect themselves or their calves.

Are rhinos dinosaurs?

No, rhinos aren’t dinosaurs. They might look unusual and scaly but they are still mammals. They give birth to live young (called calves) rather than laying eggs and they’re warm-blooded.

Are rhinos vegetarian?

Rhinos are herbivores (i.e. vegetarian). White rhinos graze grass as the shape of their broad lower lip makes it easy to clip the grass very close to the ground. Black rhinos prefer to eat from trees and bushes.