West Midland Safari Park is celebrating ‘all things rhino’ for half term, inviting guests to discover more about the importance of conservation projects for endangered rhinos.
Running from Saturday 29 May to Sunday 6 June, Rhino Week is an opportunity for the Park to highlight the vital conservation efforts needed to protect these magnificent creatures.
Young explorers can take part in an interactive scratchcard trail, where they must track down some of the Park’s resident rhinoceros, with the chance to discover some interesting rhino facts along the way. This ‘COVID-friendly’ activity will take them on quite the adventure around the Park’s Discovery Trail, Theme Park and animal exhibits.
In addition, the Park is running a competition throughout the event, where visitors have the chance to win a Family Annual Pass. Participants simply take their picture next to a life size image of Indian rhino, Seto, and her calf Inesh; and upload the post to Instagram or the Park’s Facebook wall, tagging the Park.
Finally, there will be the chance to visit the Rhino Week ‘Conservation Station’, where guests can learn fascinating insights into the Park’s rhinos, hear interesting facts about the various species of rhino and find out more about how we can help save these amazing creatures in the wild.
The event will also see the Park bring attention to their charity partner for Rhino Week, Save the Rhino International (SRI). Highlighting the organisation’s dedicated conservation projects, the Park hopes the event will continue to help elevate the importance of rhino conservation and why now it is more vital than ever to support them.
Research and Conservation Officer, Katie McDonald, said, “It’s wonderful to be celebrating Rhino Week here at the Park this half term and highlighting why it’s so important that we protect these fantastic creatures! All five species of rhino are under threat at present, with over 9000 rhinos losing their lives in the past decade to illegal poaching. Rhino habitat is shrinking as human population grows which also has a devastating effect.
“Save the Rhino International is one of the organisations working hard to keep rhinos safe and is our conservation charity partner for Rhino Week. They help implement measures, including the creation of protected areas of habitat, captive breeding programmes and anti-poaching patrols. They also educate stopping consumers buying rhino horn which has had a proven positive change.
“We hope we can champion the work that they are doing throughout this event and encourage young explorers to discover more about rhinoceros, and how they can help. Any funds raised on site will be channelled directly to Save the Rhino’s Sumatran Breeding Sanctuary, which is a fantastic programme working to increase the wild population of rhino in their native countries globally.”
Five species of rhino exist at present; however, two of the five species currently have fewer than eighty individuals left in the wild. West Midland Safari Park is home to two species the Indian rhino and the southern white rhino. The Park is part of European breeding programmes for both of these species, and in 2020 was thrilled to announce the birth of their first ever Indian rhino calf.
Inesh, now eight months old, has become a figurehead in the Park’s efforts to raise awareness for the protection of his species, and guests will be able to spot him on during Rhino Week at his home in the Wild Asia section of the Safari Drive-through.
Spring and summer months are usually a busy time for the Midlands attraction, but as the Park is limiting its numbers for safety reasons, guests must ensure that they book all tickets in advance of their visit to guarantee entry, via the Park’s website: www.wmsp.co.uk .
Rhino Week activities are included as part of the standard admission charge of £25.00 for adults, £20.00 for children aged 3-15 and £22.00 for concessions. Children under the age of three are free of charge. Admission includes a Free Return Visit when booking online only. Adventure Theme Park rides are charged extra.
