Has Black Rhino ever been mixed with other species at a zoo?

Dan

Dan

Well-Known Member
Has Black Rhino ever been mixed with other species at a zoo? I have never seen or heard about it. Rather strange this phenomenon; the two species of African rhinos being so different in their behaviour.

But does anyone know if an attempt has ever been made?
 
I think Port Lympne mixed them with Cape buffalo?
 
Cape Buffs? Now that's risk taking.

But Port Lymnpe still mix many species' with black rhinos in their African Experience; Giraffes, Ostriches, Zebras, Wildebeest, Eland, Waterbuck & and a couple of others based on internet/TV knowledge having never been there for myself.
 
San Diego Wild Animal Park attempted to house Black Rhinoceros in one of its big field exhibits. It didnt work too well and seperate enclosures were created for Black Rhinos. However, I do believe that they have mixed Grant's Zebra with them.
 
Re the black rhinos at Port Lympne - 2 young males are mixed on the African Experience with an amzing number of different species - ostrich , giraffe , Grant's and Grevy zebras , greater kudu , roan antelope , wildebeest , eland , waterbuck , red lechwe , sitatunga , water buffalo , blackbuck , axis and probably other deer . A mixture of breeding groups and surplus males . Seems to work and some groups breeding well . It is a very large area and from what I can tell most species live out year-round . I think the giraffe and probably rhinos spend the winter in yards and housing .
 
Thanks for informative and interesting replies. Seems like huge space is a necessity but not a guarantee for making the concept work.

At least now I know that this mixing does exist. Does anybody know about other examples of it?
 
Well, when they kept them, Whipsnade's Black Rhinos sometimes used to get visitors in their paddock - Peacocks, Chinese waterdeer and Wallabies but of course they weren't a deliberate mixture.
 
Dan said:
Thanks for informative and interesting replies. Seems like huge space is a necessity but not a guarantee for making the concept work.
Click to expand...

I would suggest that the other important point with the Port Lympne example is having two young males without any female distraction. I have worked with a young white rhino kept by himself (calm, could enter the exhibit with him) who completely changed behaviour when two girls were introduced (prone to jealous guarding).
 
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Port Lymne have plans to mix black rhinos with Guinea baboons. The paddock boundary fence was ready to be hotwired when I visited in August. I don't know if they have actually completed the work and released the baboons into the paddock yet - has anyone visited recently? I suspect they may wait until spring. I'm not sure which rhinos they will choose either.

Alan
 
I guess females and young males can be better mixed with other animals than adult bull.

Zoos usually have long-time resident rhinos, so if they know one rhino is rather peaceful in character, maybe she can be mixed with other animals.
 
I know that one zoo in the south of the US used to keep black rhinos with Cheethas, i am not sure which one was it, but i heard it went pretty good.
i'll try to remember....
 
gentle lemur said:
Port Lymne have plans to mix black rhinos with Guinea baboons. The paddock boundary fence was ready to be hotwired when I visited in August. I don't know if they have actually completed the work and released the baboons into the paddock yet - has anyone visited recently? I suspect they may wait until spring. I'm not sure which rhinos they will choose either.

Alan
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It looked just the same early in October- no sign of any electric fencing, just the supports on the fence. I guess they will finish it ready for next 'season.' The two rhinos then living in that paddock were Rukwa(their oldest female) and her adult daughter 'Nakuru' -but that might change of course.
 
The Cheetah/Black Rhinoceros Mixture was at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo,they don't have it anymore though
 
I thought the mixture was White Rhino/Cheetah at Cleveland...I think saw it back when I visited in 1997. But now the entire exhibit is just for Black Rhinoceros.
 
How did that mix go?
Can't imagine it working with babies, although I would imagine the adult cheetahs/rhino would probably ignore each other.
 
Mixing black rhino with cheetah ought to work pretty well, providing that the cheetah has a safe hiding place from the rhinos. Compare the mixing of white rhino and cheetha as Borås zoo in Sweden. Enclosure size is 7000 square meters (about 1,5 acres).

http://www.zoochat.com/759/bor-s-zoo-cheetah-48920/

the safe zone for cheetah is bigger than it appears in this picture. It consists of about 1000 square meters. (about 1/4 of an acre)
 
okapikpr said:
San Diego Wild Animal Park attempted to house Black Rhinoceros in one of its big field exhibits. It didnt work too well and seperate enclosures were created for Black Rhinos. However, I do believe that they have mixed Grant's Zebra with them.
Click to expand...

The Black Rhino and Grant's Zebra mix is not valid anymore in San Diego WAP. I wrote some details about this on other thread:

https://www.zoochat.com/community/posts/177910
 
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Since 2008 - Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine (France) :

Black rhinos with Dorcas gazelles, Addra (Dama) Gazelles, Grey Crowned Crane, Spur-winged Goose and White Stork !

Have you news about the mixed-species exhibit "Black Rhino-Guinea Baboon" in Port-Lympne ? Very interesting !
 
i believe at a zoo in america 2 black rhinos live with 2 white rhinos and 12 other animals 4 wildebeest 5 zebras2 gazelles and 1 buffalo that was witha herd until the other dominant male turned against him and forced him out the herd
 
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