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okapikpr

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The Wilds is now home to the only 3rd generation White Rhinoceros on the continent. There is currently a study occuring the zoos across the country to determine factors related to the lack of breeding by captive bred White Rhinoceros. Lara Metrione, the principal investigator of this project, has spent the last year traveling across the country observing rhino behaviors in various zoos for a month at a time. Hopefully she can find some correlations in factors related to successful breeding.

November 20, 2008

White Rhino Calves Born at the Wilds Add to Only Group of Known Third-Generation White Rhinos Born in North America
Cumberland, Ohio (Nov. 20, 2008) – Two male southern white rhinos were recently born at the Wilds, making a total of six of this threatened species born at the conservation center in Southeast Ohio, and the only third generation of white rhinos born in managed herds on record in North America.

“The Wilds is unique in that we are the only known facility in North America where third-generation white rhinos are being born,” said Dr. Evan Blumer, Executive Director of the Wilds.

“The combination of our expansive habitat that allows for natural social behavior in our herd, along with a carefully developed and managed breeding program, has contributed to this success,” he added.

Of the recent births, one calf was born Oct. 22 and the other was born Nov. 9.

“The rhino calves’ mothers and both of the babies are doing fine,” said Dan Beetem, Director of Animal Management at the Wilds. “They will spend the winter inside our Rhino Management Center, and will be moved into our open pastures in the spring.”

“With a gestational period of 16 months, it’s safe to say we’ve been waiting patiently all year for these births,” said Dr. Barbara Wolfe, Director of Wildlife & Conservation Medicine at the Wilds. “Female white rhinos usually reach sexual maturity at the age of 6 to 7 years, and mothers give birth to one calf every two to three years, so these factors add to a relatively long birth cycle.”

Southern white, or African 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 managed captivity in North America and Europe.

Institutions that kept these white rhinos in herds experienced a higher breeding success than where the rhinos were kept only in pairs.

“There has been an historical challenge with reproduction of first- and second-generation females born in a managed environment,” said Beetem. “As a result, we’re interested in learning more about how the social dynamics of living in wide-open spaces is a factor in their breeding success.”

At the Wilds, a herd of female southern white rhinos, along with their offspring and one breeder male, live and roam freely on nearly two hundred acres of open-range habitat. Another breeder male is kept at the Wilds’ Rhino Management Center and rotated seasonally with the female herd in pasture.

The white rhino herd at the Wilds is part of a study by Lara Metrione, a Ph. D. student at Ohio State University, who is looking at both social and environmental characteristics of various managed rhino herds to determine differentiating factors contributing to successful reproduction.

The Wilds continues to be a leader in conservation efforts for managed and wild rhino populations. Dr. Blumer is a long-standing and active member of the International Rhino Foundation Board of Directors, and has served as the chair of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Rhino Taxon Advisory Group.

The southern white (African) rhinoceros is classified as near threatened by the World Conservation Union, or IUCN, and is part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) coordinated by the AZA. The Wilds participates in the SSP program in partnership with 44 other facilities.

The mission of an SSP is to help ensure the survival of selected wildlife species through organized managed breeding programs, cooperation between institutions, applied research, public awareness, and species reintroduction into secure natural habitats.

“Based on our successful and growing rhino breeding program, we recently exchanged a male white rhino with one from the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas,” said Beetem. “We do this as part of the SSP and to maintain genetic diversity in the herds.”

White rhinos can grow to be 6,000 pounds and 6 feet tall at their shoulder, and can live up to 50 years in captivity. 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 marking 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.

According to the International Rhino Foundation, these rhinos are a success story in conservation. Their population had dwindled to perhaps only 50-200 at the beginning of the 20th Century, and by 2005, the estimated populations have grown to 11,320 in the wild, and 740 in captivity.

Like other rhinos, the southern white has been persecuted by poachers who sell its horn for medicinal or ornamental purposes.

“Continued conservation efforts to support this species are critical,” said Dr. Blumer.

The Wilds is also home to greater one-horned, or Indian rhinos. Two were born at the Wilds in late fall of 2007.
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I was wondering about the Indian rhino breeding programme at The Wilds. Whom has left the collection recently (2008/2009) as a male has gone 'AWOL' here!

I suspect the likely contender is Himal - who has now sired 3 calves - as Assam is a no-hoper (and too over-represented genes at that) and Rustam is supposed to be the next sire for the 3 Indian cows at The Wilds. I suppose Rustam has already been in with Manjula (the calf born in 2005 to Dailey) and will shortly also be made acquainted to both prove cows Dailey and Sanya.

Anyone has any updates on the Indian rhinos?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I was wondering about the Indian rhino breeding programme at The Wilds. Whom has left the collection recently (2008/2009) as a male has gone 'AWOL' here!

I suspect the likely contender is Himal - who has now sired 3 calves - as Assam is a no-hoper (and too over-represented genes at that) and Rustam is supposed to be the next sire for the 3 Indian cows at The Wilds.
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You are correct, sir! Himal moved this past November (2008) to the Montgomery Zoo in Alabama. Unfortunately, I don't have any other updates ...
 
I finally went to the Wilds for the first time today. Here are a few updates on the park.

1) The Wilds now has only 1.1 Dholes. One of the males has gone to San Diego so hopefully they will see some breeding soon if the Toronto dholes aren't related to the San Diego ones.

2) The Park recently welcomed 3 baby Scimitar Horned Oryx, 10 American Bison, 2 Persian Onager, and 1 Asian Wild Horse.

3) They have a new male Indian Rhino - I'm not sure who but they should restart their breeding program soon.

I'll post pictures later.
 
I think the male Asian Wild Dogs (dholes) are actually from the Toronto Zoo's 2006 litter
 
ColumbusZoo001 said:
I finally went to the Wilds for the first time today. Here are a few updates on the park.

1) The Wilds now has only 1.1 Dholes. One of the males has gone to San Diego so hopefully they will see some breeding soon if the Toronto dholes aren't related to the San Diego ones.

2) The Park recently welcomed 3 baby Scimitar Horned Oryx, 10 American Bison, 2 Persian Onager, and 1 Asian Wild Horse.

3) They have a new male Indian Rhino - I'm not sure who but they should restart their breeding program soon.

I'll post pictures later.
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wow alot of bison ;O
 
I need to get back to the Wilds. I've been meaning to go it just hasn't worked out. What other carnivores do they have now? There were none on my last visit a number of years ago.
 
Are the dholes hard to see? The carnivore cages look pretty big and wooded. If I drive 4 hours to the Wilds,the dholes will be the main reason.
 
I got a postcard from their staff recently saying "we hope to have cheetah cubs this summer." Maybe it will happen in time for our 2009 ZooChat USA trip (since it looks like Ohio will be the trip poll winner).
 
I'll be traveling to the Wilds again tomorrow. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures again and I'll report on any breeding updates (Possible Cheetah Cubs and if the Indian Rhinos Have been put together). Im also going to post a "walk through" since no one has done that yet for the park.

If anyone wants a specific picture or update feel free to post before tomorrow morning. I'll see what I can do.
 
ColumbusZoo001 said:
I'll be traveling to the Wilds again tomorrow. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures again and I'll report on any breeding updates (Possible Cheetah Cubs and if the Indian Rhinos Have been put together). Im also going to post a "walk through" since no one has done that yet for the park.

If anyone wants a specific picture or update feel free to post before tomorrow morning. I'll see what I can do.
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Any photos of the Indian rhinos would be cool. Would you find out how many they intend to house there and have now.

Are they using one of the imported bulls from India that came in the shipment via San Deigo zoo?
 
Mark, one of the females at The Wilds is Patrick and Indira's third and final offspring from 1999

I know you saw Sanjay in 97 and really liked the rhinos so i just though i'd let you kn ow about all this
 
Yes Thanks for that but I knew, lol, I think she was the very first IR to be used for AI work and delivered a calf which died at birth
 
MARK said:
Yes Thanks for that but I knew, lol, I think she was the very first IR to be used for AI work and delivered a calf which died at birth
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Could not quite follow your exchanges ...

At NY Bronx it is Sanjay (b. 1994). At Wilds it is Sanja (b. 1999).
The AI female is Niki (b. 1991) at Cincinnati.

Off topic: I do feel that Cincinnati need to get an unrelated bull a.s.a.p. in order to be able to breed natural too ... (it seems sad that 2 highly desirable cows in the right age classes have remained without access to one for so long).
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Could not quite follow your exchanges ...

At NY Bronx it is Sanjay (b. 1994). At Wilds it is Sanja (b. 1999).
The AI female is Niki (b. 1991) at Cincinnati.

KB. I think Sanjay was the name of the male born at Toronto zoo second calf?.

Also Niki was the 3rd calf (female) born at Toronto?.

Off topic: I do feel that Cincinnati need to get an unrelated bull a.s.a.p. in order to be able to breed natural too ... (it seems sad that 2 highly desirable cows in the right age classes have remained without access to one for so long).
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I agree with what you have said, maybe the SSP could swap a bull with the EEP?.
 
Nikki was Toronto Zoo's first calf (b 1991) and she was also the first indian rhino born in Canada. She was also the first ever indian rhino to conceive thorugh AI (Although her calf was stillborn)

Sanjay was the second calf (b 1994) and the only male calf of the three

Sanya was the third and last calf of the three (b 1999)

Nikki is at Cincinatti

Sanjay is at Bronx

Sanya is at The Wilds
 
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