Saturday, September 02, 2017

Summer Vacation Redux #9: Sioux Falls: The Great Plains Zoo, part 5 of 7


I am giving the Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, their own zone.  The habitat space contains two roomy exterior areas and a wonderful enclosure/educational facility all of which just opened in 2010 with a goal of being a more active participant in the AZA's Species Survival Program for Black Rhinoceros.  And LOOK!--just this past year pair of Black Rhinos increased by one.  And what a cutie.  As if that weren't enough, I got to watch while the little fellow nursed, and that ain't something you get to experience every day.
 Jubba is a formidable presence as an adult male.  Another guest warned me as I approached that he likes to turn tail and "spray" the gate with urine to assert his dominance.  You can see how the accumulated salt has discolored the structure.




 Imara and Komati.   Komati was born in September of 2016, so he's just shy of his first birthday.  His birth raised the number of Black Rhinos in zoo's in North America to 58 with only an estimated 725-750 left in the wilds of Africa.  This is a species that is fast-tracking to extinction and mostly due to the illegal trade in their horns.  It's just tragic, and yet experiencing Komati made my day--gives hope.




No comments:

Post a Comment