As everybody knows, today, 22 September 2018, is the WorldRhino Day! While lots of Facilities celebrate this day with hundreds of activities, Worldrhino.com is busy in collecting news from worldwide about our beloved Rhinos.
Enjoy all of them!
Rhino births – Second baby rhino of 2018 for both Fossil Rim and Virginia Safari Park
September has always been a busy month for rhino mothers all over the world and the baby boom is continuing.
Fossil Rim (Texas, USA) announced just today that there is a second baby rhino born in 2018! Southern White Rhino lady Ursula gave birth to her second baby on 8 August 2018. This calf, again a male, is named Blake and he is Jiwe‘s full brother! As many of us remember, we reported that in December 2016 a very young Ursula gave birth to her first baby, Jiwe. While the baby was healthy, the young mother didn’t take the motherhood in her stride and completely refused the calf, which was hand-raised by Fossil Rim’s Keepers till he was “adopted” by an older rhino lady, M’Bili (that gave birth to her third calf in February, this year, too!). Of course, for this second baby, there were lots of concerns, especially for the mother behavior. Would she act identically, refusing again the new baby? Luckily, this time not. Mum Ursula stepped forward promptly and she is now raising her calf perfectly!
Blake’s dad is again bull Bernard.
Virginia Safari Park (Virginia, USA) reported that Southern White Rhino lady Kya was expecting her second calf for July 2018. Finally, they announced that the new baby was born: Killian, this is the name chosen for the new addition, was born on 2 August 2018. He has spent his first few weeks in a behind-the-scenes nursery, but now he can be seen in the rhino field with his whole family. As far as we know, Killian’s rhino “family” is composed by his mum Kya, his half-brother Sebastian and Sebastian’s mum Samira, along with the two older calves, Sawyer and Khaleesi, and the calves’ dad, Leroy. We do not know if the two older calves will be transferred soon or later (or maybe they had just left the Facility) so we ask for your help!
Rhino transfers all over the world
Eire Zoo (Pennsylvania, USA) has waved goodbye to one of its resident, Southern White Rhino male Spike. He, along with his half-brother Victor, has been selected as genetically important for the North America’s Rhino population and has been transferred to San Diego Safari Park (California, USA). It is hoped for him to became a father in the near future (maybe he is, already – you’ll know more very soon). Victor, the other male, has not a day for his journey, yet. He has not adapted well to the transport crate, so things are going a little slower with him. He is supposed to go to a Facility located in Central Florida. Unfortunately, we do not know which one.
Eire Zoo will received two new males few times after Victor’s departure. The new males will be younger, since both of them, that are half-brothers, too, are 6 years old.
At the beginning of September, Fresno Chaffe Zoo (California, USA) said goodbye to one of its favourites: Southern White Rhino Rudo, first calf for couple Kayla and Tim, was transferred to Tulsa Zoo, in Oklahoma, USA. He is a very young rhino, since he will be 2 years old only in January 2019. His moved has been carefully planned and was simply necessary, even if he could seem too young: mum Kayla is pregnant again and will give birth in the next months!
Rudo is adjusting well to his new home and he will eventually met Southern White Rhino lady Jeannie, 38 years old. According to some sources, Rudo and Jeannie could become a breeding couple in the future, but we do have some doubts about it. Rudo is quite young, now, and Jeannie is probably too old to carry a pregnancy to term. Anyway, there is always hope!
While San Diego Safari Park welcomed a new Southern White Rhino bull to its herd (Spike from Pennsylvania, USA), the same Facility was preparing for a more challenging task: moving one of its Eastern Black Rhino to Tanzania!
The transfer went perfectly and the rhino is already in his new home. Eric, this is the name of the Rhino, will be slowly introduced to his new environment and there are good possibilities for him to be introduced to a female, Laikipia. Eric was born in San Diego Safari Park in July 2010 to resident couple Lembe and Jambia. Eric’s genes are well represented in the small North America Eastern Black Rhino population, so according to the SSP he will never breed in his native country. Anyway, Eric’s genetic is not presented in Tanzania, so he was choosen to be transferred there to boost the chance of renewing the Eastern Black Rhino population in this country. It is absolutely amazing that this is happening. While we wish Eric good luck, we can’t stop questioning what will happen to Eric’s parents: since their genetics is over represented, they will not breed anymore, so North America’s Black Rhino population seems to have lost another Rhino breeding couple. We just have to wait and see future developments.
Hamilton Zoo, in New Zealand, annnounced at the beginning of September that it was planning the move for one of its precious residents: Southern White Rhino Jamila. She was meant to be transferred to Auckland Zoo (New Zealand, too) and became there a breeding female. Unfortunately, Jamila decided that she was not ready, refusing to enter the transport crate the day of her departure. Her transfer has been postponed to a date unknown. We do really hope that this transfer could be made as soon as possible, since Jamila is not breeding in her native place and probably never will if she is meant to remain there.
Pregnancies!
We are absolutely thrilled to report that not one, but two pregnancies were achieved using Artificial Insemination!
The first one is from Buffalo Zoo (New York, USA): Indian Rhino Tashi, almost 22 years old, is pregnant and she is supposed to give birth in Summer 2019! Buffalo Zoo made history in 2014 when Indian Rhino Monica, conceived trough AI with the sperm from a male called Jimmy (that died in 2004), survived past early infancy. She is now thriving in San Diego Safari Park (California, USA). This time, Zoo Staff used another donor: male Suru, almost 18 years old, that lives in Miami (Florida, USA)!
Tashi has given birth two times prior to Monica, so she should be able to carry the pregnancy to term. Ashakiran, a female that lives in Toronto (Canada), that this year welcomed baby Kiran, is Tashi’s first daughter.
The second pregnancy obtained through AI procedure cames directly (again) from San Diego Safari Park. Southern White Rhino Amani, one of the six females imported in 2015 from South Africa and housed at Nikita Khan Rescue Center (located in San Diego, too), is confirmed to be 10 weeks pregnant! Along with Victoria, the other rhino announced pregnant, Amani should give birth next year. According to San Diego Safari Park official release the sperm donor for Amani’s pregnancy is a rhino called J Gregory. Since there is no rhino that respond to this name we have made some researches: our official sources report that J Gregory lives in Erie Zoo (Pennsylvania, USA). Since rhino Spike has been transferred to San Diego recently, it could be permissible to belived that Spike is actually J Gregory. We are waiting for official confirmation, anyway.
A third pregnancy has been obtained trough the “natural” way: Southern White Rhino Mopani, that lives at Taronga Western Plains Zoo (Australia) is confirmed to be 4 months pregnant! Mopani will welcome her third calf in late 2019. Mopani is the only one of a female rhino crash to survive (pregnant!) to a mysterious illness that broke out in 2012 in the Facility. Unfortunately, her first calf called Maceo died in 2016. Her second calf, Kamari, a female, should still live in Taronga. We do not have information about the three calves’s dad. Please, do contact us if you happen to know him.
Baby Rhinos got their names!
On WorldRhino Day some Facilities announced the names for their newborn rhinos: in Berlin Tierpark (DE) Betty’s seventh calf, born on 5 September 2018, has received the name “Karl”; at Sigèan (FR) Lima’s baby has been named “Ringo” with the help of Facebook followers.
We have finished with the news from all over the world. We renew our invite to help us in keeping the site updated sharing any kind of information you have from Rhinos. Do tell us what you think about the site trhough our official Facebook page or mail. Thank you!
