From today's perspective, one must say that this house has fortunately now become part of zoo history.
From the historical point of view, however, this house was something special - it was the only animal house designed only for rhinos and tapirs in the world, in which at the same time three species of rhinos and two species of tapirs were kept - for some years there lived 1.3 malayan tapirs ! Unfortunately, this group never bred. In total there were three tapir species kept here.
From 1964 to 1974 the okapi bull "Patrick", born in 1962 in Paris, lived here, a female could never be acquired for him.
Three Indian rhinoceroses were born here, in 1972, 1976 and 1979. Only the last born calf "Heiner" was also conceived in Berlin, the other two were conceived in Basel. From 1981 the black rhinos have bred here with great success.
Now it remains to be seen how the new rhinohouse will be. The zoo has still not officially confirmed the presence of Malayan tapirs -as far as I know- but since the lowland tapirs now live in the extension area, and the house is designed to be Asian, it is safe to assume that it will be.