Edinburgh Zoo New Arrivals in 2010

was at the zoo today and a new young rhino arrived he was being kept in the lower section while Finindra was in the top paddock!!!
 
Correction: indeed the new rhino is Samir (b. 2008) ex Stuttgart Wilhelmina.

The swap Fanindra (b. 2004 Antwerpen-Planckendael) with Bertus (b. Rotterdam-Blijdorp 7/2008) is yet to take place (as of today). The current Rotterdam male is being crate-trained for transfer and Fanindra is on straight pick-up back.
 
Has rhino Fanindra already been sent out to Rotterdam?
Or any indication/info when this will transpire?
 
An update on the mixing of the chimpanzee groups at Budongo as well as news of a Japanese macaque birth at HWP and penguin news from the zooblog.

RZSS Zoo Blog
 
cracker said:
The new young male from Rotterdam arrived this afternoon and Fanindra will leave tomorrow.
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the new male is called Bertus and really seems to have given Samir a confidence boost as he seems to follow Bertus all around the enclosure!
 
Best buddy rhinos defy zoo keepers' expectations | Edinburgh and East | STV News
Two baby rhinos have defied the expectations of worried zookeepers by becoming the best of friends.

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo had been worried that new arrival Bertus would clash with 18-month-old Samir, who arrived in the capital last month. However, since being introduced on June 1, the pair have begun to act more like brothers than housemates.

Despite being young, Bertus and Samir are the zoo's heaviest residents, tipping the scales at more than two tonnes each, and nervous staff had been worried about the potential danger of introducing one into the residence of the other.

They had considered a gradual introduction but after seeing the laid-back nature of Bertus, staff decided to house the two together immediately. And after much trepidation, the keepers were amazed to watch the two immediately become firm friends.

Sue Gaffing, Head Keeper for the rhinos, said: "We've had Indian rhinos at Edinburgh Zoo since 2006 but when our males reach breeding age at about five or six-years-old, they leave to start their breeding life in another zoo collection and are replaced by juveniles.

"In the wild, rhinos are solitary animals and only tend to come together to mate, but while they are young they can live happily alongside each other. But you are never quite sure how a new pair coming from different collections will get on. In the past, there have been dominance struggles but this pair have been totally different.

"Bertus is incredibly relaxed and his chilled attitude has really rubbed off on Samir who was pretty nervous when he arrived. They are now inseparable, following each other around as if they are attached by an invisible rope! It is truly lovely to see and both are obviously enjoying each others company.”

Part of the role staff at Edinburgh Zoo play in the rhino breeding programme is to train new arrivals to allow routine medical checks to be carried out without stress.

Sue admitted that can be a difficult task, adding: "The sheer size and design of a rhino presents its own challenges from an animal management perspective.

"Rhinos have skin as thick as 3cm in places, so simply getting a blood sample can be difficult. We use positive reinforcement training where the animal is rewarded for the behaviour we want. In the rhino’s case this allows us to get blood samples from behind the ear – the area where the skin is at its thinnest - as well as to get them to lift their hooves for inspection as rhinos are notorious for problems with their feet."
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where did Samir and Bertus come from? I noticed that someone said that one had come from Rotterdam which i assume to be Samir
 
RTB1987 said:
where did Samir and Bertus come from? I noticed that someone said that one had come from Rotterdam which i assume to be Samir
Click to expand...

Bertus arrived from his birthplace at Rotterdam on 1st June and Fanindra went the other way on the 2nd.

Samir came from Stuttgart on 4th May. He was born there in August 2008
 
Had a quick visit today. The zoo now has a pair of Aardwolves in the collection, the first time I have ever seen one. I also saw the Cloud Rats.
 
They are housed were the Asiatic Golden Cats were, next to the Sun Bears.
 
The aardwolves are a great addition to the mammal collection, along with the cloud rats too, cementing Edinburgh's place as one of the finest mammal collections in the UK.
I hope the aardwolves settle well into their enclosure, the indoor area is on public view, and coming from RSCC, i am sure there will be a noticeable jump in visitor numbers going past their enclosure, i hope they can settle and cope with it.
 
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