Japanese Greater One-horned Rhino Population

akasha

akasha

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Greater One-horned Rhino 2024

There are currently seven Greater One-horned Rhino in Japan, held by four zoos, with a calf due very soon at Tama Zoo. Three of the bulls were born in Japan, with the other bull and three cows imported.

Thanks to @Veno for helping me with this list.

Akiyoshidai Safari Land, Mine

1.0 Champ (Kintaro x Gopon) 31/01/2014 (Transferred from Kanazawa Zoo 2016)

Higashiyama Zoo, Nagoya

1.0 Sera (Sanver x Nilgiri) 20/12/2003
1.0 Bunta (Kintaro x Gopon) 15/08/2009 (Transferred from Kanazawa Zoo 2011)

0.1 Nilgiri (Chitawan x Tanaya) 23/10/1990 (Imported from Basel Zoo 1991)

Kanazawa Zoo, Yokohama

0.1 Narayani (Wild x Wild) ~2001 (Wild caught in Nepal 2002, Transferred from Tama Zoo 2021)

Tama Zoo, Tokyo

1.0 Bikram (Wild x Wild) ~2001 (Wild caught in Nepal 2002)

0.1 Gopon (Rabha x Godavari) 22/12/1999 (Imported from San Diego Wild Animal Park 2003, Transferred from Kanazawa Zoo 2021)

Total: 7 (4.3)
 
History of Greater One-horned Rhino in Japan

The first Greater One-horned Rhino in Japan was a wild-caught male, Tamao. He was transferred to Tama Zoo in 1958. In 1961 a wild-caught female, Rani, was imported to Tama Zoo.

1.0 Tamao (Wild x Wild) ~1957 - 03/12/1991 (Caught in Kaziranga National Park)
0.1 Laurie/Rani (Wild x Wild) ~1946 - 03/12/1991 (Caught in Kaziranga National Park)

The first calf was a male stillborn in 1967. A second calf was born at Tama Zoo in 1973. The male was exported to Amsterdam.

1.0 Stillborn (Tamao x Rani) 11/06/1967
1.0 Saitaro (Tamao x Rani) 20/12/1973 - 24/05/1989 (Exported to Amsterdam)

The next import was a pair from India to Higashiyama Zoo in 1974.

1.0 Sanver (Shivaji x Padmini Jr) 12/09/1971 - 06/07/2008 (Imported from Assam, India)
0.1 Jaya (Wild x Wild) 00/09/1973 - 03/02/2001 (Imported from Assam, India)

The third Japanese zoo to import Greater One-horned Rhino was Kanazawa Zoo in 1985. They imported a pair.

1.0 Kintaro (Puri x Nanda) 12/07/1983 - 17/06/2022 (Imported from Wilhelma Zoo, Germany)
0.1 Sawako (Lachit x Maya) 01/10/1982 - 04/01/1995 Imported from Kanpur Zoo, India)

Higashiyama Zoo imported another pair in 1991.

1.0 Nandi (Chitawan x Ellora) 31/05/1990 - 19/02/2004 (Imported from Basel Zoo, Switzerland)
0.1 Nilgiri (Chitawan x Tanaya) 23/10/1990 (Imported from Basel Zoo, Switzerland)

Tama Zoo imported a male from Basel Zoo in 1998.

1.0 Tarrh (Chitawan x Ellora) 20/11/1996 - 2023 (Imported from Basel Zoo, Switzerland)

A male calf was born at Higashiyama Zoo in 2001. Dora was exported to Australia where he has sired two male calves (one surviving) at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

1.0 Dora (Sanver x Nilgiri) 14/08/1999 (Exported to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Australia)

In 2002 Tama Zoo imported a wild-caught pair from Nepal.

1.0 Bikram (Wild x Wild) ~2001 Wild caught in Nepal 2002
0.1 Narayani (Wild x Wild) ~2001 Wild caught in Nepal 2002

A female was imported to Kanazawa Zoo from San Diego Wild Animal Park in 2003.

0.1 Gopon (Rabha x Godavari) 22/12/1999 (Imported from San Diego Wild Animal Park)

Nilgiri at Higashiyama Zoo produced a second male calf in 2003.

1.0 Sera (Sanver x Nilgiri) 20/12/2003

Kanazawa Zoo’s first calf was a female in 2007. Asuka only lived for 7 weeks. A second calf was born in 2009. Bunta was transferred to Higashiyama Zoo. Kanazawa Zoo’s third calf, Champ, was born in 2014. He was transferred to Akiyoshidai Safari Park in 2016, making them the fourth holder in Japan.

0.1 Asuka (Kintaro x Gopon) 01/02/2007 - 22/03/2007
1.0 Bunta (Kintaro x Gopon) 15/08/2009
1.0 Champ (Kintaro x Gopon) 31/01/2014

In 2021 Kanazawa Zoo and Tama Zoo traded females for breeding purposes. The male at Kanazawa died before breeding took place. Gopon at Tama Zoo is due to give birth soon.

In total 19 Greater One-horned Rhinos have been kept in Japan, with 7 of them born there.
 
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The status of GHOR in Japan is very concerning (apart from the good news at Tama Zoo with an executant cow)!

The other non-breeding cow Narayani involved that was sent to Yokohoma - Zoorasia should have been bred even when first introduced in 2021 as her window of opportunity was definitely closing at 20+ years of age. Japan's zoo transfers are even more heavily politicised than elsewhere with Municipal authorities quite often interfering in what comes and goes at their city zoos. It is quite exasperating to note that with the number of now adult bull rhino a transfer from one of the other holders has not happened. Why not is anybody's guess of course since f.i. bull Bunta (even though his genes are. well over-represented in the global population cow Narayani is a wild born Nepal Chitwan cow currently with no calves whatsoever. I do fear she is a lost cause now.

The other cow Nilgiri is correctly paired with Bunta - I guess, but unsure - however in the years they have maintained them Nilgiri's calf Sera has remained at the zoo and really should have been send elsewhere (Kanazawa?) already. It is quite possible that his presence is affecting any chances of their cow re-breeding.
 
PossumRoach said:
Seeing the status of greater one horned rhinoceros elsewhere the zoo world, I can only ask “what else is new?”
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@PossumRoach, TBH that is a bit much and not entirely true nor justified. The European program has cut back on ex situ breeding due to space constraints and has since also transferred several GOHR from Europe to South America (Peru - 1.1 to Parque las Leyendas and 0.2 to Guadalajara Zoo) to free up space.

EEP Breeding stats: 2018: 3.3 (0.1 dns), 2019: 0.4 (0.1 dns), 2020: 1.1, 2021: 0.2, 2022: 4.1, 2023: 0.1, 2024: 0.0.

I have to recheck the AZA files what the trends are for the US/Canada SSP population.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
@PossumRoach, TBH that is a bit much and not entirely true nor justified. The European program has cut back on ex situ breeding due to space constraints and has since also transferred several GOHR from Europe to South America (Peru - 1.1 to Parque las Leyendas and 0.2 to Guadalajara Zoo) to free up space.

EEP Breeding stats: 2018: 3.3 (0.1 dns), 2019: 0.4 (0.1 dns), 2020: 1.1, 2021: 0.2, 2022: 4.1, 2023: 0.1, 2024: 0.0.

I have to recheck the AZA files what the trends are for the US/Canada SSP population.
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And why is there a space constraint? Zoos want Africa sections more than anything and will go for black and white rhinoceroses over greater one horned rhinoceros.
 
PossumRoach said:
And why is there a space constraint? Zoos want Africa sections more than anything and will go for black and white rhinoceroses over greater one horned rhinoceros.
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Space constraints due to the eipanding GOHR population in Europe as well as that zoos have a preference to go for herd social structure white rhino (over solitary species like black and GOH rhinos) in Europe. The same is true for North America.

@PossumRoach, Relax, friend ..., I know where you are coming from and what you are getting at ..., I am not argueing like. I agree on most points, just the manner is a bit much.


Anyway, I wonder how GOHR in Japan can start to flourish as potentially with the addition of a few females the population could expand more rapidly and get on a more stabilising growth curve. It seems to me that importing 2 females of breeding age and proven would be a good start for the Japanese Zoos.
 
In the present circumstances, I would yet favour transferring out bull calf Sera from Nagoya Hagashiyama Zoo to Yokohama on breeding loan. This on the off chance that cow Narayani at 22+ can be stimulated to cycle and become in heat / fecund for breeding / mating.
 
A major event for the zoo as well as for Japan as a whole! The importance of this birth is that the bull Bikram is a wild caught and previously not represented bull (he is wild born in Nepal) in the global Indian GOHR population!

For the cow Gopon it is her 4th calf and her behaviour indicates how composed and experienced she is. This bodes well for the coming months and years.

Link to birth video:

 
Kifaru Bwana said:
In the present circumstances, I would yet favour transferring out bull calf Sera from Nagoya Hagashiyama Zoo to Yokohama on breeding loan. This on the off chance that cow Narayani at 22+ can be stimulated to cycle and become in heat / fecund for breeding / mating.
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Bull Sera is no longer a calf, nor juvenile or sub-adult, he is fully mature at 21 years of age. The added benefit would be that at long last the mother - calf bond is broken down and an obstacle for breeding his mother to the other bull rhino Bunta with cow Nilgiri.

I would further advocate that the other former breeding cow Nilgiri at Nagoya - Higashiyama Zoo would be paired with male Bikram at Tokyo Tama Zoo or bull Bikram - if for health reasons able to travel - to transfer him out to Nagoya - Higashiyama Zoo on breeding loan. There is a good chance that given that Nilgiri has had a calf before that she might still be able to breed.

If any local Japan Zoochatters have more insights into the recent history of all rhinos mentioned above and their chances of reviving a breeding program for GOHR in Japan, .... that would be most welcome!!!
 
Bunta from Nagoya will soon return to Kanazawa Zoo to be paired with Narayani for breeding.
However, Narayani is an older female who has never given birth before, so the risks associated with pregnancy and giving birth may be relatively high.
 
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Veno said:
Bunta from Nagoya will soon return to Kanazawa Zoo to be paired with Narayani for breeding.
However, Narayani is an older female who has never given birth before, so the risks associated with pregnancy and giving birth may be relatively high.
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I am in Nagoya right now, and I'm going to visit Higashiyama tomorrow to see the pair one last time. Other places I’m planning to go include the JMC and Aqua Totto Gifu.
 
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