Terra Natura Benidorm wants to warn about the Rhino critical conservation situation in the celebration of the World Rhinoceros Day which takes place in September 22^nd. The park’s team of zookeepers will hold informative talks about the conservation of these animals from today until next weekend to show visitors the problems and threats suffered by the populations of this species.

The Indian rhinoceros is in danger of extinction according to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and other subspecies are in a very serious state of conservation. The main threats to which the populations of this species are subjected are poaching and the loss of their natural habitat. In some societies, there is still a false and erroneous belief that the dust extracted from their horns makes medicinal or aphrodisiac effects, which causes their poaching.

Terra Natura Benidorm has established itself as a reference centre in Spain for the care, management and conservation of the Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). It is the first and only zoological centre in the country that has achieved the birth of two Asiatic rhinoceros’ in its installations. The births were in 2012 with the arrival of Shusto and in 2019 Duna was born.

The park has joined in some international studies. One of them was a study of their cortisol levels to see the welfare of these animals. The park is also taking part in the development of a gene bank to study their genealogy, which is an international project on the rhinoceros microbiome and also joins the Rhino 2020 project.

The Rhinos that live at Terra Natura are trained to perform routines that allow the keepers to carry out examinations safely without the need of sedation or anaesthesia, such as checking their feet to prevent painful wounds on the sole and the extraction of blood. These animals have good character, Shiwa is calmer and Nisha is more nervous. Duna is very smart and she likes to nibble Nisha’s ears, favouring a group bond. Duna can also be rude and stubborn when she wants something, but runs to hide under the legs of Shiwa, her mother, when something scares her.

The team of zookeepers reviews the physical well-being of the group of rhinos on a daily basis and monitor their diet so they don´t have digestive problems. Their legs are checked weekly. The bond with their keepers is very close. Knowing their behaviour helps to prevent health problems and it is easy their management despite being a large animal, one of the largest terrestrial species in the world.

Rhinoceros’ skin is very thick and sensitive, and protects them from predators, but not from mosquitoes or the sun’s rays, which they are defenceless. That is why they love mud baths, because it acts as a sunscreen or insect repellent.