Adopt a Rhino

Rhinos are under threat.

Rhinos have roamed the Earth for millions of years, but their numbers have been devastated in little more than a century. Around 500,000 rhinos lived in the wild at the start of the 20th century; today, fewer than 27,000 remain across Africa and Asia.

Three of the world’s five rhino species are now Critically Endangered, with poaching, habitat loss and small, isolated populations continuing to threaten their survival.

Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade remains one of the the most prominent threat to rhinos. Their horns are used in traditional medicines and purchased as symbols of wealth and status, despite having no proven medicinal benefits. Habitat loss and fragmentation also place wild populations at risk, leaving rhinos with fewer safe, connected landscapes in which to feed, roam and breed.

How your rhino adoption helps overseas

The Aspinall Foundation has a long history of returning captive-born rhinos to protected areas in Africa. We have also worked with conservation partners to rescue and relocate rhinos facing danger.

To date, The Aspinall Foundation have transferred eight black rhinos from European collections to protected areas in Africa - five to Tanzania and three to South Africa where they can roam free.

These rhinos have gone on to breed successfully in the wild. There have now been 25 wild births to released black rhinos, creating a growing family line of more than 60 descendants.

This remarkable legacy demonstrates how returning even a small number of suitable animals to the wild can make a lasting contribution to the recovery of a threatened species.

Preparing three more black rhinos for the wild

The Aspinall Foundation is working to return three UK-born black rhinos – Kisima, Chanua and Mizi – to Grumeti Reserve in Tanzania.

With a protected new home selected and plans underway, the three females are preparing for an extraordinary journey from Kent to Africa. There, they will have the opportunity to roam across a vast natural landscape, follow a natural diet and potentially produce wild-born calves of their own.

Adopt a rhino with The Aspinall Foundation and help us return threatened animals to the wild and support new generations of this remarkable species.

Fun facts about rhinos

• There are five living rhino species: two in Africa and three in Asia.
• A group of rhinos is known as a crash.
• Rhino horn is made from keratin, the same protein found in human hair and fingernails.
• All rhinos are herbivores, but different species eat in different ways. Black rhinos use their pointed upper lips to grasp leaves and branches, while white rhinos have wide, square lips suited to grazing.
• Rhinos have relatively poor eyesight but excellent hearing and a highly developed sense of smell.
• Despite their size, some rhinos can move surprisingly quickly. Black rhinos have been recorded running at speeds of up to around 55km per hour.
• Black rhinos communicate using a range of sounds, including growls, snorts, squeaks, screams and trumpet-like calls.
• Oxpeckers are often seen riding on African rhinos and feeding on ticks and other parasites. Their alarm calls may also warn rhinos of approaching danger.