To mark World Rhino Day today, I sketched this, and my daughter coloured it in whilst learning about their conservation. 'I'm calling them Ryan and Freya,' she tells me. 'Ryan, the rhino sounds good,' I say. 'I think they're kissing aren't they,' she giggles. I explained that all animals show each other love and affection just as we do. It's adorable.
Did you know that 'rhinoceros' means 'nose horn' and that of the five species of these beautiful herbivores, Javan and Indian rhinos have one horn, whereas the white, black and Sumatran rhinos have two (https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/rhinoceros-facts/)?
Only 29,000 rhinos are left in the wild down which is down from 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century (https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/where-do-rhinos-live-and-eight-other-rhino-facts). Illegal hunting and poaching for their horns to be used in Asian medicine are the leading causes of this (https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/rhinoceros-facts/).
Thoughtful conservation efforts already in place, together with the careful monitoring and protection of rhinos, gives hope for their future, so on a day dedicated to them, we celebrate rhinos for all their glory and wonder.
