Werribee Open Range Zoo (WROZ) wants families to know it is the place to be in autumn, and rhinos are in season.
The new twist to this family affair began when seven-month-old southern white rhino calf Jabulani met his father Kifaru last month.
Jabulani would have been forgiven for being nervous when he saw his father, who weighs two tonnes and is five times his size, come bounding across the savannah.
Never one to shy away from the moment, Jabulani, who has been making headlines since his birth in August, stood his ground and handled the meeting with a nonchalant touching of horns.
A real chip off the old block, he did all this while casually enjoying his lunch.
Savannah keeper Lance Weldhagen said the young calf had plenty of backup.
“Jabulani is a curious young rhino, but it certainly helps when there are eight tonnes of ‘rhino bodyguards’ between him and Kifaru – Jabulani’s mother Kipenzi, grandma Sisi, great grandma Make and herd member Letaba,” he said.
The duo’s meeting a few months after Jabulani’s birth is part of a planned approach by keepers to replicate the wild herd cohesion of rhinos at the zoo.
In the wild, male southern white rhinos lead mostly solitary lives and have minimal involvement with their calves, which is why caution had to be exercised.
The mother and female herd members take on the responsibility of protecting and nurturing their young, while males accept females and their calves passing through and living in their territory.
“We are all super proud of the entire rhino herd. It’s incredibly exciting to see the group dynamics the herd together,” Mr Weldhagen said.
But the threats of poaching for the illegal trade of rhino horn and habitat destruction by human expansion makes bonds like these all the more important.
The zoo participates in The Australasian Southern White Rhino zoo breeding program that supports the conservation of wild rhino populations through nurturing genetically diverse groups fundraising to conserve the species in their native home.
Visitors can see Jabulani, Kifaru and the rhino crash on a savannah bus tour that runs throughout the day and is included with entry.
More: www.zoo.org.au
