Australia Wildlife: Zoo trying to protect endangered southern black rhinos in Dubbo

World
Europe

One of Africa's most iconic animals is making a comeback. The number of southern black rhinos is growing due to conservation efforts around the world, including in rural Australia. CGTN's Greg Navarro reports from Dubbo.

There are not many jobs out there where you get to call a majestic creature weighing more than a ton and it comes right up to you.

JEAN-PIERRE VENECOURT, TRAINEE KEEPER TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO "It's amazing, I can't complain about coming to work when I get to work with these amazing guys."

And there aren't many zoos where you'll find the southern black rhino, especially outside of Africa. The Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo is one of them.

STEVE HINKS, DIRECTOR TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO "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."

The zoo's involvement with rhinos goes much deeper than it's size and climate. It's been at the forefront of rhino conservation since the 1990s, when southern black rhino numbers reached as low as just 1,000 down from about 70,000 in the 1970s.

STEVE HINKS, DIRECTOR TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO "Rhinos, we all realise, are an iconic species and they are also one that is suffering at the hands of mankind."

Their biggest threat remains poachers who kill black rhinos for their horns.

GREG NAVARRO DUBBO "Those horns which are prized in so many places are only made of one thing. Keratin, which is found in our fingernails and our hair."

JEAN-PIERRE VENECOURT, TRAINEE KEEPER TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO "Medically proven absolutely no medical benefits whatsoever."

Today it's estimated that there are more than 4,000 southern black rhinos. The breeding program here has produced 14 calves over the years, and earned this rural zoo a reputation for its efforts to preserve the species.

STEVE HINKS, DIRECTOR TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO "Taronga Western Plains Zoo fights above its weight when it comes to making a difference in that conservation space."

These southern black rhinos were born in captivity and will remain here, where people often stop to watch them. It's an experience, zoo officials say, that can also go a long way in helping people to understand why these critically endangered animals deserve to keep their horns, and deserve a better chance at survival. Greg Navarro, CGTN, Dubbo.