Did any of you know that September 22nd is World Rhino Day? Well yes it is.

World Rhino Day gives you the opportunity to .... you guessed it.....Go to the zoo and see some rhinos or go online and learn something about rhinos.

Every year, World Rhino Day is celebrated around the world. This holiday is observed on September 22nd and is designed to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect rhinoceros populations from worldwide extinction. Currently, rhino populations are in freefall around the world.

In the 1970s, their numbers had dropped to 70,000, and now, there are only about 27,000 rhinos in the world. Black rhinos are being slaughtered for their horns, which are traded illegally on the International market, and that’s the number one reason why their populations are still declining. Fortunately, there is hope to help these animals, and it all begins with this holiday.

This holiday was first created in 2010 by the World Wildlife Fund. It was created as a way to highlight the problems that rhinos face, especially as it pertains to the illegal rhino horn trade.

It didn’t take long before the holiday became a global movement that was observed by individuals, organizations, and governments all around the world. It remains so to this day as there is still an ongoing effort to curb the illegal rhino horn trade.

For years, rhinos have been hunted so that their horns can be harvested. Poachers then take the rhino horns and sell them on the illegal market. Rhino horns are extremely popular in Asian countries where they are used in traditional medicine.

The fight to end this trade hasn’t been as successful as the WWF and other organizations wished, but the fight continues and must continue to ensure the survival of these majestic animals.

Below are some important facts about rhinos that we feel everyone can appreciate. All of the following facts come from reputable sources and will hopefully provide everyone with a little bit more information on these amazing animals.

There are two African rhino species in the world. The Black Rhino and the White Rhino.

There are also three Asian rhino species. These are the One-Horned Rhinos, Sumatran Rhinos, and Javan Rhinos.

Rhinos can weigh over 3 tons.

Black and white rhinos are both grey.

Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same protein that makes up our fingernails.

As we stated earlier, this holiday is observed all around the world. It’s observed with fundraising events, educational programs, public awareness campaigns, and a number of initiatives that highlight the plight of these animals.

This holiday also serves as a grave reminder that humans have to do better to protect all of the animals that contribute to the world’s biodiversity before they’re lost forever. With that being said, we encourage everyone to support rhinos by spreading the word about this holiday.

And this can easily be done using the hashtag #WorldRhinoDay online and by telling friends and family members about this holiday. If we all work together we can save rhinos before it’s too late. The only question left now is, will we?

Next onto our swap:

Post THREE (3) or more pictures or gifs to each of your THREE (3) partner's profiles with the theme "World Rhino Day" or "rhinos". The pictures that you choose may be the SAME OR DIFFERENT between all of your partners. Please choose pictures that you think THEY will enjoy!

Only people with well filled out profiles may participate in this swap. I will be checking the night before partners get assigned. If you get 3 or more pictures from your partner on "World Rhino Day" or "rhinos" you have to rate them a 5. The heart on the rating is for if you like that they sent.

To leave a photo on someone's profile use this code ! [ ] ( Put image here ) With NO spaces & paste the picture's link between the curved parenthesis.

Practice on your own profile first to be sure it looks good because you can easily delete there.

Pick images that are size 300 wide or smaller to be sure they fit. I go to Google images to get my pictures.

Hover over images to see their size because there will be some larger sizes there too. If you really like something click on it and go to the words SEARCH BY IMAGE and click on that. THEN go to the word SMALL and see if there is one 300 size. There are other tricks in the group thread; AN EASY way to get a small PIC from a BIG one;-)

You can find moving pictures at http://giphy.com/

You can also find gifs at google, just type in topic gif 300 x 300.

Please write the TITLE OF THE SWAP ON YOUR PROFILE DECO MESSAGE too! This makes it easier for partners that are in a lot of these swaps to rate it.

Any problems, feel free to contact me.

I want to thank @anrtist for allowing me to borrow SOME of her wording.

Requirements:

1. A well filled out profile. I will check the night before partners get assigned.

2. You need to login at least two days prior to sign-in date.

3. Your dashboard must be up to date.