Other ways to support this year's Bowling for Rhinos event in Chicago:

• purchase tickets or become an event sponsor https://www.simpletix.com/e/bowling-for-rhinos-2026-tickets-283076
• bid on a luxury South African safari for 2 guests https://www.32auctions.com/lincolnparkbfrsafari2026
• buy stickers featuring Hazina the rhino calf https://lpaazk.printful.me/

Since 1990, Bowling for Rhinos has been the signature fundraiser for the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). It is a program that provides animal keepers with the means to raise funds and awareness for in situ programs focused on protection, habitat conservation, education, and population management for rhinos and other species that share their habitats in Africa and Asia. Bowling for Rhinos is a venture that encourages communities to support conservation worldwide in a time when it is desperately needed.

Rhinos are on the brink of extinction, mainly due to poaching. Just 100 years ago there were over 500,000 of these gentle giants and today there are less than 30,000. There is a huge demand for rhino horn in some countries, mainly for rumored medicinal properties or as a status symbol, and over 10,000 rhinos were lost to poaching in Africa in the last decade. On average, one rhino is poached every 16 hours in Africa. But it is not just rhinos that are being affected by poaching, habitat destruction and other threats. Elephants, tigers, orangutans, and many other species that share rhino habitat in Africa and Asia are hanging on by a thread, and Bowling for Rhinos is our chance to make an impact in ensuring their survival. The three conservation organizations supported by Bowling for Rhinos focus on community education, habitat preservation, and security to give rhinos and other animals the chance that they need to thrive in their natural environments.