Rhino Release onto the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve!

Colchester Zoo is pleased to announce the successful completion of the first release of two female White Rhinos onto the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

For the past four years, Colchester Zoo and Action for the Wild have been working to develop the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The aim is to reintroduce animal species that were naturally found there before human intervention led to many of them to become extinct in this area. UmPhafa was previously managed as farmland and sadly many of the animal species on the land were sold or persecuted if they posed a threat to livestock.

We are delighted to have received reports from the field that two female rhinos have now been released into the UmPhafa reserve. The rhinos were loaded smoothly at the Thaba Manzi Wildlife Service farm and after a long drive; the rhinos arrived at UmPhafa in the evening of Wednesday 3rd September. This meant they had to wait to be unloaded because it was dark, but the rhinos were kept calm overnight in their crates with some mild sedatives. At first light on Thursday 4th September at around 6am, the rhinos were unloaded. Both of the rhinos walked calmly away from the crates and started eating straight away. We have been advised not to follow the rhinos too closely for the first few weeks because they need some time to acclimatise and settle into their new environment, although they have been spotted from a distance by our rangers several times.

Once the two females have become fully accustomed to the UmPhafa reserve, the Zoo are hoping to introduce a male rhino, in the hope of starting a breeding programme over the next few years. The female rhinos are both between 5 and 7 years old and originally came from the Kruger National Park. Rhinos can live up to 45 years, so hopefully these two females will have a long and happy future in the UmPhafa Reserve. They were introduced to each other two weeks ago and seem to be getting on well. It is easy for the wardens to tell them apart; one has hairy ears and the other has small nicks out of her ears.
This relocation of the two rhinos cost over £40,000, and would have been impossible without the generous contributions from Colchester Zoos visitors. For more information about the UmPhafa Nature Reserve and how to make a donation, go to www.colchester-zoo.co.uk.

If you would like to adopt a rhino on the UmPhafa reserve please just go to http://www.colchester-zoo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=involve.adopt

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• rhino
• africa
• release
• wildlife
• safari