These caring Kiwi kids raised $4000 for rhinoceros’ conservation!

The creative students of Northcross Intermediate recently put on a play called Rhinoceros, directed by drama teacher Mark Jensen and based on avant-garde play by playwright Eugene Ionesco.

More than 100 students took part in the play and they were able to raise and generously donate $4000 to Auckland Zoo’s rhino programme and partnership with Lowveld Rhino Trust a conservation organisation that is working to increase rhino populations in Zimbabwe. Our Ungulates team leader Tommy Karlsson attended their assembly with over 1500 students to accept the donation. 

As a thank you, we invited the students to the zoo and they got to safely (from behind the animals’ stalls) meet rhino up close, help keepers put hay out in the paddock, and watch male rhino Inkosi come out. Northcross student Tsimmy Hanafay said “It was quite a life changing experience being able to see a rhino up-close compared to seeing one on a screen or from far away.”

As a not-for-profit conservation focussed organisation we rely on donations and zoo visits from people like you to continue our Wild Work in Aotearoa and abroad. Being able to inspire the next generation of conservationists is what we’re all about and as our Director Kevin Buley says, “the connections that are created between the community and our wildlife that inspire people to support our programmes in this way here at the zoo and our conservation work in the wild is frankly incredibly moving for me. We are so very grateful to them for all their work on behalf of rhinos.”