A black rhino looks like it has found a mate in time for the holidays—and, in time to help save a species.
The 4-year-old, which was born on Christmas Eve in 2019, has just reached maturity after being moved from a zoo in Lansing, Michigan to a newly designed home in Palm Desert, California.
Newly captured videos shows the triumphant day when Jaali was first introduced to Nia—a female black rhino from the Cleveland Zoo that was also moved following a match-making appeal from the Association of Zoo and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.
Their first interactions are precious, but also critical. African Black Rhinos are classified as critically endangered and the pair’s new caretakers at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens are devoutly committed to the conservation of this species.
“This first introduction between Jaali and Nia is the culmination of 4 years of habitat design research and construction to build the perfect home for this pair of endangered black rhinos,” said Allen Monroe, the zoo’s president.
The California team hopes that, with a little luck—and after a 15-month gestation period—they will have at least one more to add to the species’ diminished numbers.
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“It’s amazing to see the first steps of rhino courtship now that Jaali and Nia have reached maturity.”
The animal matchmaking experts behind the Species Survival Plan knew that this particular female and male were underrepresented genetically in the population, and needed to get together—and the new ‘Rhino Savannah’ in the Palm Dessert zoo would be a prime environment for procreation.
“Black rhinos are solitary by nature. The general thought is that absence makes the heart grow fonder. So we had Jaali on one side of the habitat and Nia on the other. They can see each other,” Monroe told People.
Female rhinos have a short reproductive period—three days out of the month—so caretakers will time their interactions for that peak breeding time.
“Our fingers are crossed that sometime in the coming year these introductions will result in a pregnancy and bouncing baby rhino.”
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With his fourth birthday coming on Christmas Eve, Jaali (pronounced jolly) couldn’t have received a better gift.
Watch the heartwarming video posted on Instagram…
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