Year of the Rhino: IRF at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Annual Wildlife Conservation Leture Series

IRF program officer and white rhinos at The Wilds

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium invited IRF program officer Bill Konstant to speak last week as part of its annual wildlife conservation lecture series. His presentation – The Year of the Rhino: What’s Next? – was given at the Ohio State University’s Fawcett Center and was dedicated to the memory of IRF founding director Tom Foose. The Columbus Zoo provides generous support to IRF rhino conservation programs in Africa and Asia.

Rhino enthusiast Dury Sudduth and Columbus Zoo conservation lecture series organizer Rebecca Rose

RF board member, Lewis Greene, and advisor, Patty Peters, at the Ohio State lecture

Columbus Zoo docent displays rhino horn for lecture attendees

Following the presentation, Bill was given a behind-the-scenes tour of The Wilds, one of the largest and most innovative wildlife centers in the world, managed by the Columbus Zoo and home to more than two dozen threatened species ranging from rhinos to hellbenders to burying beetles. The two rhino species in residence are the greater one-horned and white rhino. The Wilds is the only special breeding center to have produced fourth generation white rhino calves.
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Dan Beetem of The Wilds with white rhinos

Larva of the hellbender, an endangered North American amphibian

The dhole, a threatened Asian relative of the wolf

Female greater one-horned rhino and calf

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