Cotswold Wildlife Park is committed to Rhino conservation and works closely with the UK-based conservation charity Tusk to protect Africa’s many threatened species. 
Throughout August, Cotswold Wildlife Park hosts its annual Rhino conversation fundraising event, Rhino Month, to raise awareness and funds for Rhino conservation work in Africa. During Rhino Month, the Park will be highlighting the plight of Rhinos in the wild and why conservation work is vital for their future.
This year, for the first time, a ‘money-can’t-buy’ object is being auctioned off for charity. Believed to be the first of its kind, a gilded Rhino dropping is up for auction. All proceeds from the sale of this gold-leafed Rhino dung will go to Tusk. The dropping came from one of the Park’s Rhino calves. The gold leaf was applied by professional gilder JoJo Hull and the process is known as oil gilding with 23.75 karat Italian gold leaf.
Simon Cowell recently visited the Park with his family and generously started the bidding off at £2,500. Reggie Heyworth, Managing Director of Cotswold Wildlife Park and a Tusk Ambassador, said: “We are all so grateful to Simon Cowell for embracing the opportunity to benefit conservation with the first bid for this stunning gold-leafed Rhino dropping, and we hope others will share his passion to benefit Tusk, by bidding for this unique and beautiful item. The Cotswold Wildlife Park has been supporting Tusk for nearly three decades and whenever we think of trying to help conservation efforts for the amazing wildlife and natural habitats of Africa, all of us straightaway think of one conservation charity, and that is Tusk. Fingers crossed that this unique Rhino dropping auction captures people’s imagination and we raise a lot of money for this remarkable charity.
Future bids are welcome by visiting the QR Code below or by clicking this link
Photos credit: Paul Nicholls Photography