Issue link: https://owlkids.uberflip.com/i/1012376
owlconnected.com 19 WE'LL PROTECT YOU! Conservation efforts are key to helping animals recover. Organizations like Save the Rhino work hard to build safe places where endangered rhinos can live throughout Africa and Asia. Save the Rhino sponsors the Big Life Foundation, which works to protect a wild black rhino population in Chyulu Hills National Park, Kenya. Workers guard the land, keeping the animals safe from poachers and other threats. This makes it a place where the rhinos can thrive! Projects like this also bring jobs to the area. And good jobs make it easier for local people to resist the temptation to hunt rhinos for their valuable horns—which in turn keeps even more rhinos safe! HOME AT THE ZOO A wild animal belongs right there: in the wild. But when an animal is endangered, captive breeding programs—which try to produce threatened species in a safe environment—are important. You can find rhino breeding programs at zoos around the world, from Australia to Switzerland to Canada. In fact, the Toronto Zoo welcomed two rhino calves born within the last year: a white rhino named Theodore on December 24, 2017, and a greater one-horned rhino named Kiran on January 4, 2018. The zoos provide more than just a safe place for young animals to grow. Visitors to the zoo also learn about the importance of protecting these creatures and their habitats. CAN IT WORK? Yes! Some species have experienced real recoveries. For example, the greater one-horned rhino almost went extinct in the 1900s. But thanks to strict laws that protect the species in India and Nepal, there are now approximately 3,500 alive in the wild. It may not be a huge number, but it is a big improvement. The northern white rhinoceros is in serious trouble, especially after the death of the last male. But it isn't too late to save the other rhinos in the world. With conservation and breeding programs, we can help! Javan rhino: 60 Sumatran rhino: 100 Rhinos Are Rad! Every creature on the planet is worth saving. But here are a few reaons why the rhino is an extra-special species in our animal-loving hearts. • The very fi rst rhinoceros species roamed the Earth about 50 million years ago. • They run on their toes—and can hit speeds of about 50 km/hr (30 mph.). • A group of rhinos is called a "crash" ... so watch out! But also remember that rhinos don't go around charging people (or other animals) without reason. Respect! Rhinos may be big and bulky, but they can run faster than an Olympic sprinter! Northern white rhino: 2