This white rhino enjoyed a relaxing shower as its caretakers pampered it for World Rhino Day.

The large horned animal named Hero, 13, received a thorough scrub down in Thailand's Khon Kaen Zoo on the special day, which is celebrated yearly on September 22.

Zookeepers conducted check-ups on the three-tonne beast, while also giving trivia and prizes to tourists 'to raise awareness in rhinoceros conservation'.

Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi said staff aimed to keep Hero healthy and unstressed to keep it from the brink of extinction.

He added that other rhino species such as the Javan and Sumatran rhinos have been declared extinct in certain parts of Asia. Both are listed as critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The white rinoceros, on the other hand, is classified as near threatened, with its population declining due to poaching and severe weather.

The Khon Kaen Zoo is open to visitors every day from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.