SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It’s time to round up the family for a wildlife adventure as Utah’s Hogle Zoo will be hosting its first after-hours family event on May 5 — fittingly named “Cinco de Rhino.”
The event will celebrate Cinco de Mayo while also bringing awareness to the five species of threatened rhinos left in the world today. It will feature various rhino-themed activities, live music, dancing, and Mexican dishes, with all event proceeds benefiting local and international wildlife efforts.
There were once nearly 100 species of rhino throughout the world. Today, only five species remain in India, Nepal, Indonesia, and the African continent. All five of these species (black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran, and Javan) are currently threatened by the effects of poaching, forest loss, habitat conversion, and human encroachment.
Utah’s Hogle Zoo is officially home to two southern white rhinos, considered to be some of the eldest among their species and at any Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) zoo. The two rhinos are named George, a calm 46-year-old weighing 4,100 pounds, and Princess, an inquisitive 43-year-old weighing in at 3,900 pounds.
Guests can expect to learn about the rhino species, and the many threats they now face in the wild, through animal enrichment and keeper chats during Hogle Zoo’s Cinco de Rhino daytime programming — which is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and included with general admission or zoo membership.
The Cinco de Rhino after-hours family event will be separately ticketed and run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Admission is free for children two years old and younger.
Tickets can be purchased on Utah’s Hogle Zoo website.