Mapenzi, a wide-lipped white rhinoceros, comes from France for a safari/photo: Shay Perry
The wide-lipped rhinoceros are in danger of extinction and the two are coming to Israel as part of the species conservation program of the European Association of Zoos (EAZA), of which the two zoos are members.
Two wide-lipped rhinoceroses recently landed in Israel as part of a program of the European Organization of Zoos, in which the Biblical Zoo and Safari - the RG Zoological Center are members, for the preservation of the endangered species.
The two rhinos, 8-year-old Eno and Mephenzi, arrive in the country from the zoo in the city of Lille in France, which is about an hour away from Paris.
Their arrival was made possible after a careful examination by the species coordinator at the European Organization of Zoos and their adaptation to the zoos' abilities to hold this large and impressive species: the safari has kept rhinos since its inception and they have been breeding there since 1973. To date, 33 wide-lipped rhinos have been born at the safari.
The Biblical Zoo makes a very important contribution to the European program by keeping males that are not intended for breeding.
Ino, a wide-lipped white rhino in Safari/Tal Shibuli
9 rhinos on safari
As of the beginning of 2024, the herd of rhinos in the safari has 9 rhinos: Atari, the aging male who is also the father of all the cubs, Maya, Carnivale, Tupac, Karen Peles and her daughters Kifenzi and Camille, Rihanna and her daughter Rainy-Rafiki.
Tupac, now an adolescent and strong male who challenges his father Atari, is a relative of the other rhinos.
Due to the genetic closeness between the individuals it is important to prevent Tupac from drowning the herd.
In order to maintain the genetic diversity essential to the health of the individuals in the herd and the health of the population in the zoos, females must be allowed to be impregnated by a male who is not a member of their family.
Therefore, the safari will take in Mfenzi, while Tupac is expected to eventually move to the biblical zoo. In the biblical zoo, the "Rawkia" will be renewed, in which two male rhinos will live together: the French and, as mentioned, also Tupac Harmat-Gani.
In the future, when Mfenzi will also be genetically represented, it will be possible to transfer him to Revekia in Jerusalem and bring the Jerusalem rhino to the safari and continue breeding.
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Mapenzi, a wide-lipped white rhinoceros in Safari/Tal Shibuli
Litter in rhinos: every three years
Wide-lipped rhinos live in the African savannas, often near water sources.
They are among the largest land animals and adult males can even weigh up to 4 tons.
The females are smaller than the males.
Their lips are rectangular and wide, and that's why they are called in Hebrew a broad-lipped rhinoceros.
The name "white rhinoceros" comes from a corruption of the name of the rhinoceros in the Afrikaans language spoken in South Africa.
The word Wide, which means wide, was over time replaced by the word Wit, which means white.
Thus, the rhino was named White Rhino and at the same time, the narrow-lipped rhino was named Black Rhino.
Wide-lipped rhinos have two horns located in the center of the face, with the upper one being smaller.
The large horn is longer and thinner in females than in males, as they need to protect their young.
Their skin is light gray and thick.
The length of their pregnancy is about 18 months, at the end of which one cub is born, weighing about 50 kg. The cub is born without a horn, which is basically a roll of hair and it will start growing immediately after birth. The cub will double its weight by the age of six months.
A female rhinoceros can give birth About every three years. The cub spends time with its mother almost until the time of the littering of its younger brother or sister. Shortly before the litter, the mother signals to her adult cub that it is time to go on an independent life.
The last two female northern rhinoceros.
Fertilization was recently successful in an embryo of this species/ShutterStock
Hope for the extinct rhinoceros
A superstition concerning the miraculous medicinal properties associated with the rhinoceros horn, results in the illegal poaching of hundreds of rhinos every year in Africa.
The breeding and conservation programs of the modern zoo organizations in the world were established with the goal of maintaining a healthy and sustainable population in zoos that will serve as "insurance" for the dwindling population in Africa.
We all hope that there will be no need for assistance and the release of individuals from zoos into the wild, but if the need arises and the natural living environment allows it, it will be possible to restore the population and return rhinos from the zoos to the wild.
Last week we published here about a huge breakthrough in the field of fertility that happened recently, offering hope for saving the northern white rhino from extinction - of which there are only two individuals left (!) on earth.
Scientists have achieved the world's first white rhino pregnancy through in vitro fertilization (IVF), successfully transferring a lab-created rhino embryo to a surrogate mother.
The procedure was performed on southern white rhinos, a close subspecies of the northern ones, and both belong to the subspecies of the white rhinoceros.
The next step in the procedure, is to repeat the fertilization with embryos of a northern broad-lipped white rhinoceros.
Now Mapenzi is staying in the Aklum yard bordering the African savanna area.
There he will find in the near future, get to know our herd of rhinoceros that came to look at the new tenant with curiosity, the other herbivores in the savannah, the ostriches and also the handlers.
He will smell smells, listen to voices and get used to his new home at ease.
Ino the Jerusalemite is getting to know the new place and the surroundings in the rhinoceros house next to the African courtyard in the biblical zoo, and is expected to go out and get to know the other tenants in the coming weeks.
More on the same topic:
the safari
Rhinos
White rhinos