Comedian Urzila Carlson kicked off her latest New Zealand tour with a sold-out Claudelands show and a special animal encounter on Saturday (6 July).

Urzila, whose artwork for her 'Token African' tour featured a charging rhino, was invited to take part in a face to face encounter with Hamilton Zoo's Southern white rhinoceroses prior to her Claudelands show.

Urzila, who jokingly referred to three-year-old rhino Samburu as her "body double", says she was very excited to be in Hamilton, both for her sold-out show and for the chance to get up close to the rhinos.