Twycross Zoo welcomes rhinos this Easter

A female Eastern black rhinoceros will be moving to the Midlands in March shortly followed by a male. Visitors to Twycross Zoo will be able to see the new arrivals from the Easter Holidays.

The rhinos will be part of the European breeding programme, with zoos working together to help preserve the population and maintain genetic diversity.

The black rhino used to be the most common of all rhinos, however, due to hunting and the demand for rhino horn, the population decreased by 98%. Now, thanks to efforts from zoos and other conservation organisations around the world, the Eastern black rhino population is increasing with numbers rising from less than 2,500 to approximately 5,458 today.

Karen Clarke, Chief Operating Officer at Twycross Zoo, said: “The story of the black rhino is quite incredible and we are honoured to be part of a breeding programme which is helping to grow their population. The fact that Eastern black rhino numbers are now growing is testament to conservation experts all around the world and we are dedicated to continuing this hard work.

“We are currently preparing the new habitat ready for the arrival and we’re very excited for all our visitors who will get to see rhinos from this Easter.”