Middle March was a busy moment for two young Southern White Rhinos: both half-way through the maturity age, they left the native crash to join other conspecifics to form new bonds.
Colchester Zoo, in the south-eastern part of the UK, waved bye to its younger male, 3 years old Kifaru. Born in the beginning of 2017 in the main paddock, in front of astonished visitors, Kifaru was moved to Port Lympne, far south, where another young White bull resides. The two youngster will live together in a condition that mimes what happens in the wilds: young bulls form “bachelor crashes” for quite some time, usually until their sexual maturity, when they would split up. Meanwhile, in Colchester, Kifaru’s parents, Emily and Otto, have just welcomed their third calf, a daughter called Lottie, and another female of the crash is pregnant and should give birth to her first calf at the end of the year.
Across the channel, in France, Zoo de Beauval let its younger female, Gaya, to depart. Her destination? Her new breeding crash (at least, it is hoped so) in Czech Republic. The young lady, 3 and half years old, arrived in middle March in Safari park Dvůr Králové and it is said -and documented by some pictures on Official Channel – to be settling in very well. She was already introduced to the three adult resident females and everything seems promising. The Facility hopes to have a new breeding crash of Southern White Rhinos after some years of stop. Since the arrival of Jessica in 2013 and then of the male, the Facility has imported two other adult females, but no luck till now. Besides many mating attempts, especially with Jessica and Temba, no calf seems to arrive, while the other female Jabulani is described as “difficult”. Her behavior confirms our fears: this female is pretty tough and bossy. She was moved from another Zoo in France where the male didn’t have success, too. The male, called Joby, was then transferred after many years, and within few months, he was able to sire not one, but two calves, with other females. Even in Dvůr, Jabulani is acting violently toward the male Pamir and no mating behavior has been observed. Maybe, with the arrival of Gaya, things could change and finally became successful for this crash.
On the other front, Zoo de Beauval shares no news of calves on the way, last year one of the female gave birth to a daughter that unfortunately didn’t survive. From a public Video posted, during August last year a mating attempt was filmed between the male Smoske and one of the two adult females – we think that she might be Satara. Moreover, another public video shows the three Rhinos in the paddock, and one of the female, is showing a “rounder” shape than the other. Maybe she is expecting? We really hope so!
