Virginia Safari Park Marks 25 Years With Its 8th Annual World Rhino Week
Virginia Safari Park will spotlight one of its most successful conservation programs during the 8th annual World Rhino Week, held Sept. 21–27. The event gives guests a rare look behind the scenes at the Park’s growing crash of white rhinos while raising funds and awareness for global rhino protection.
The Park has become a notable leader in rhino conservation since welcoming its first rhinos nearly a decade ago. The breeding program has produced nine calves, a milestone that reflects Zoofari Parks’ long-term commitment to supporting healthy, genetically diverse rhino populations. Today, the Park cares for 18 white rhinos, many of which play an essential role in ongoing conservation efforts.
World Rhino Week visitors can take part in guided encounters that bring them closer to these powerful yet gentle animals. Each experience includes full-day admission, a 30-minute meet-and-greet, opportunities to feed and touch the rhinos, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Rhino Complex. Guests also receive a keepsake painting created by one of the rhinos that call the Park home.
In addition to these encounters, visitors can see rhinos roaming the 180-acre property during the safari drive-thru. Proceeds from the week’s experiences support global rhino conservation. Since 2018, the Park has donated more than $17,500 to the International Rhino Foundation.
“World Rhino Week at Virginia Safari Park is more than a celebration—it’s a call to action,” said Sarah Friedel, Park director. “With nine rhino calves born here and a strong commitment to global conservation, we are proud to showcase the impact that dedicated care and community support can have in protecting these extraordinary animals.”
Virginia Safari Park’s conservation efforts extend beyond its own herd. Through the importation of young white rhinos from South Africa and Namibia, the Park has helped diversify the genetic strength of rhinos in human care. Two of the earliest imports, Samira and Kya, remain vital to the breeding program.
This year’s event also aligns with a major milestone. Virginia Safari Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter century of connecting families with wildlife and contributing to international conservation. Since opening in 2000, the Park has welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests each year and expanded its mission to protect threatened and endangered species worldwide.
World Rhino Week offers visitors a closer look at that mission in action and highlights how guest participation helps secure a future for rhinos in the wild.