Here is a big announcement that has been released that I copied to share with all of you!! We went out to the Wilds on Saturday for the 1st Wildzfest.. It was a horrible day, coldy and windy they still had 1500 people but it would have been wonderful if the weather were better!! Can't wait until next year! Addison and Ayla loved it anyway!!
BABY TIME AT THE WILDS
SECOND FOURTH-GENERATION RHINO CALF BORN AT THE WILDS, Cumberland, OH –
(Click on the attachment to view the image) The Wilds southern white rhino family has added another new member. On Oct. 2, a female named Zenzele gave birth to her second calf who appears to be strong and healthy alongside mom at the conservation center in southeast Ohio.
The birth of the calf is particularly significant as it is the second fourth-generation southern white rhino born at the Wilds.
“It is fascinating to watch the interaction between the mother and the rest of the herd in pasture. said Dan Beetem,” Director of Animal Management. “The wide open spaces at the Wilds allow us to manage our animals in a more natural social grouping. We think this environment is one of the key factors in the success of our program.”
The dam, Zenzele, was the very first rhino born at the Wilds in 2004. The sire, 9-year old Fireball, came to the Wilds in 2008 as part of the Southern white rhinoceros Species Survival Plan (SSP).
In 2009 the first fourth-generation white rhino born in human care was born at the Wilds. Three Indian rhinos have also been born there. There are currently ten southern white rhinoceros and six Indian rhinos at the Wilds.
Southern white rhinos were almost extinct in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Effective conservation efforts in the 1950s led to the exportation of individual wild white rhinos to zoos in North America and Europe. The current wild population is estimated to be about 17,500 animals however rhino poaching in Africa reached a 15-year high in 2009.
Calves are born after a gestation of 16 months. White rhinos can grow to be 4,000 pounds and six feet tall at their shoulder. Their natural habitats are plains or woodlands interspersed with grassy openings. Through reintroduction efforts, their current range in the wild is in southern and eastern African countries.
Their physical characteristics are two pointed horns and a wide mouth suitable for grazing. The name white rhinoceros originated from the Afrikaans word describing its mouth – weit, meaning wide. Early English settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the word weit for white.
The birth of the calf is particularly significant as it is the second fourth-generation southern white rhino born at the Wilds.
“It is fascinating to watch the interaction between the mother and the rest of the herd in pasture. said Dan Beetem,” Director of Animal Management. “The wide open spaces at the Wilds allow us to manage our animals in a more natural social grouping. We think this environment is one of the key factors in the success of our program.”
The dam, Zenzele, was the very first rhino born at the Wilds in 2004. The sire, 9-year old Fireball, came to the Wilds in 2008 as part of the Southern white rhinoceros Species Survival Plan (SSP).
In 2009 the first fourth-generation white rhino born in human care was born at the Wilds. Three Indian rhinos have also been born there. There are currently ten southern white rhinoceros and six Indian rhinos at the Wilds.
Southern white rhinos were almost extinct in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Effective conservation efforts in the 1950s led to the exportation of individual wild white rhinos to zoos in North America and Europe. The current wild population is estimated to be about 17,500 animals however rhino poaching in Africa reached a 15-year high in 2009.
Calves are born after a gestation of 16 months. White rhinos can grow to be 4,000 pounds and six feet tall at their shoulder. Their natural habitats are plains or woodlands interspersed with grassy openings. Through reintroduction efforts, their current range in the wild is in southern and eastern African countries.
Their physical characteristics are two pointed horns and a wide mouth suitable for grazing. The name white rhinoceros originated from the Afrikaans word describing its mouth – weit, meaning wide. Early English settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the word weit for white.
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