Alex Boone to have rhino named after him

49ers guard Alex Boone has been bringing kids to the San Francisco Zoo through his Alex Boone Animal Education Project for some time, and the zoo is saying thank you by naming an endangered black rhino after him.

Boone (the person) met Boone (the rhino) last year on a family trip to the zoo. The 49er immediately gravitated toward the massive four-year-old black rhino and wanted to know if he could help out in any way. Together, Boone and the SF Zoo created and nurtured the “Alex Boone Animal Education Project,” an organization that brings at-risk kids to the zoo.

On Friday, in honor of his community efforts, the rhino will be officially christened “Boone” at a party at the zoo.

“There are very few black rhinos left on this planet, so to have one named after me is truly an honor,” Boone said in a news release. “It’s awesome to share a close connection with a black rhino, but it’s even better that we can raise awareness for these endangered species through the Alex Boone Animal Education Project.”