At first glance, Australia's Taronga Western Plains Zoo in rural New South Wales may seem like an unlikely place to be at the forefront of rhino conservation. 

"We sit on some 700 plus hectares of land here in the central west of New South Wales but, in addition to that, our climate is actually very similar to parts of Africa and certainly parts of Africa where you will find the southern black rhino," said Taronga Western Plains Zoo director Steve Hinks.

The zoo's involvement with rhinos goes much deeper than its size and climate.

It's been leading conservation efforts since the 1990s when southern black rhino numbers reached as low as just 1,000, down from about 70,000 in the 1970s.

"Rhinos, we all realize, are an iconic species and they are also one that is suffering at the hands of mankind and needlessly so," said Hinks.

The biggest threat to southern black rhinos are poachers who kill the animals for their horns.

"Medically proven, absolutely no medical benefits whatsoever. Exactly the same stuff as in our fingernails and in our hair, and they basically treat them as fingernails as well," said trainee keeper Jean-Pierre Venecourt

Today, it's estimated that there are more than 4,000 southern black rhinos.

The breeding program here in Dubbo has produced 14 calves over the years, and earned this rural zoo a reputation for its efforts to preserve the species.

"The role of zoos has changed and continues to change. Expectations of society lean a lot more towards making a difference in the real world and the challenges that we face," said Hinks.

(Top image: These southern black rhinos are part of the zoo's successful breeding program. /CGTN Photo)

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