Rhinos readied for Devon trail

There's a been a chance today for people to see more than forty painted rhinos which will be placed around South Devon to form a trail this summer. The project has been created by Paignton Zoo, which did something similar with gorillas 3 years ago.

The unusual sight of rhinos riding on lorries through Exeter, is intended to make us think about the animals' rarity in the wild. Paignton Zoo's following up its Gorrilla campaign of 3 years ago, with statues of another endangered creature.

Pippa Craddock from Paignton Zoo told us more:

The Rhinos are painted with different designs and messages. The horn on one called Hope has been cut off, showing how poaches target rhinos for their horns.

Each rhino has a sponsor. They'll be auctioned after the summer trail has finished.

One of the event's sponsors, Tom Smith, told us why it was important to get involved:

The Rhinos will be distributed around Devon in the coming weeks. The trail starts later this month.