MARWELL Zoo will be going rhino mad today as the venue of a national campaign to help save the endangered animals.

Events begin with a break-out by two 'rhinos' from the international London HQ of the charity Save the Rhinos who, after 'rampaging' through the capital's tourist hot spots, will be making their way to the Hampshire zoo.

On Friday nine 'rhinos' - along with Marwell's four real rhinos - will be holding a tea party in the park's rhino enclosure, with a giant teapot and specially-made cakes for those animals not in fancy dress.

On Sunday, nine members of Marwell Zoo's conservation team will take to the park's paths dressed as rhinos for the Marwell 10k Race.

The outfits the runners will wear have been worn by Save the Rhino volunteers to raise money for the charity around the world, including on Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro, in the London and New York marathons, and in the infamous Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara.

It is hoped the week-long campaign will help raise about £14,000, which is the amount Marwell has pledged to collect as part of the £103,761 total British zoos have promised to the charity.

Across the UK, 16 other zoos involved in the fund-raising, organised by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), will also be staging events from skydives to teaching visitors how to make paper out of rhino poo.

The money will be used in 13 conservation projects around the world, paying for everything from mosquito nets for park rangers, to cranes to help move rhinos to other parks.

Visit www.biaza.org.uk.