The new facility will be able to hold up to 20 rhinos at a time and is being developed as part of a global effort to help save rhinos from extinction.
Orana chief executive Lynn Anderson said rhinos could be extinct in our lifetime.
"In Africa, one rhino is illegally killed on average every six hours for its horn.
"Rhino poaching is out of control and there are more rhinos killed than there are born.
"Unless we act now, rhinos may tragically be extinct within 10 years."
“As New Zealand’s only open range zoo, we have partnered with two Australian open range zoos and charitable organisation, The Australian Rhino Project (TARP), to expand the managed rhino breeding population in Australia and NZ.
"This will involve transferring approximately 35 animals (10 per transfer) from wildlife reserves in Africa to maintain a genetically diverse insurance population in our safe countries (NZ and Australia) should rhinos become extinct in the wild."
Anderson said the project aims to increase genetic diversity of the existing population and help protect the species.
"Our White Rhino Conservation Centre is essential for this project.
"Every rhino transferred from Africa that is destined for our Australian partners must be quarantined in NZ for up to one year in our White Rhino Conservation Centre.
"Some rhinos from each import will remain at Orana to progressively develop a larger breeding herd here.
"Rhinos will be re-exported to our partners in Australia to develop increased breeding herds there."
"Rhinos are counting on us all for their survival."
"As part of our public fundraising campaign, we have launched a Givealittle page enabling the community to help us contribute to conservation on an international scale.”
"Our entire team is passionate about conservation and privileged to be involved in a project to help secure one of the world’s most iconic species."
