World Rhino Day2026 · Date · History
World Rhino Day’s official history records WWF-South Africa’s 2010 announcement and a 2011 international expansion led by Lisa Jane Campbell and Rhishja; September 22 remains the annual date.
About World Rhino Day
World Rhino Day is observed on September 22 to raise awareness of all five living rhino species and the conservation pressures they face.
The World Rhino Day site says WWF-South Africa first announced the day in 2010 and that it expanded internationally in 2011.
Why World Rhino Day matters
The observance brings attention to black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhinos without treating all species, populations or threats as interchangeable.
Conservation information should be date- and geography-specific, especially for population figures, poaching trends, reintroduction sites and threat assessments.
History of World Rhino Day
The official World Rhino Day history attributes the first announcement to WWF-South Africa in 2010.
It says Lisa Jane Campbell and Rhishja connected in 2011 and helped expand the observance internationally to include both African and Asian rhino species; the current site and social channels are maintained by Annamiticus.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
WWF-South Africa
The official World Rhino Day history states that World Rhino Day was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010.
First documented observance
The official history says WWF-South Africa first announced the day in 2010 and describes 2011 as the following year’s international expansion; the exact date mechanics of the first 2010 event are not separately established.
World Rhino Day expanded from the 2010 South African campaign into an international observance encompassing both African and Asian rhino species.
Lisa Jane Campbell and Rhishja with participating conservation communities
Annamiticus (World Rhino Day website and social channels)
The World Rhino Day site states that its website, Facebook page and @RhinoDaySept22 account are maintained by Annamiticus; this is a bounded maintenance/stewardship claim, not exclusive ownership of all events.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe World Rhino Day
Learn about the five rhino species from reputable conservation organizations and current scientific sources.
Support vetted conservation work without publishing sensitive locations of rhinos, calves, nests/holding sites or anti-poaching operations.
Never approach, feed, touch, chase or otherwise disturb wild rhinos for a photo or event.
Do not buy, promote or normalize rhino horn or other illegal wildlife products.
Treat population numbers and threat levels as time-sensitive and cite the geography and date of the data.
World Rhino Day Facts
World Rhino Day is observed on September 22.
The World Rhino Day site says WWF-South Africa first announced it in 2010.
The 2011 international expansion involved Lisa Jane Campbell and Rhishja.
The observance covers all five living rhino species.
The current World Rhino Day website/social channels are maintained by Annamiticus, which does not make it the exclusive owner of every independent event.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
World Rhino Day — official About/Media/Contact pages
World Rhino Day — About (opens in a new tab)
Organizer History
World Rhino Day — Contact (opens in a new tab)
Current Site Stewardship
World Rhino Day — Media (opens in a new tab)
Organizer History
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Rhino Day?
22 September The documented recurrence rule is: 22 September.
Does World Rhino Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Rhino Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: international rhino awareness and conservation observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Rhino Day?
The documented basis is: World Rhino Day’s official history records WWF-South Africa’s 2010 announcement and a 2011 international expansion led by Lisa Jane Campbell and Rhishja; September 22 remains the annual date.. Supporting evidence includes World Rhino Day — About. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is World Rhino Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: international rhino awareness and conservation observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-24.
When is World Rhino Day?
It is observed on September 22.
How did World Rhino Day begin?
The official history says WWF-South Africa first announced it in 2010, followed by an international expansion in 2011.
Who helped expand it internationally?
The official site credits Lisa Jane Campbell and Rhishja with collaborating on the 2011 international expansion.
Does it focus on one rhino species?
No. The observance explicitly includes all five living rhino species.
Other observances on September 22
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Proclamation of Independence
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