UK safari parks complete a rhino swap

On the morning of 20 August, Bonnie, a two-tonne Southern white rhino arrived at West Midlands Safari Park, travelling from Woburn Safari Park.

Bonnie is joining the herd of eight white rhinos at West Midlands Safari Park and is taking the place of Granville, a male who was born at the Park in 2018 to mum Ailsa, who coincidentally is also Bonnie’s sister!

As soon as his auntie was safely in the rhino house, Granville was ready to set off on his journey to start his new life at Woburn.

The movement of these rhinos has been a collaborative effort between several wildlife parks, working towards a common goal of preserving genetic diversity of species who are at risk of becoming extinct.

Head Keeper of Ungulates, Lisa Watkins, said, “It has been bittersweet for the team, with Granville moving on to become a breeding bull in his new home. We have all enjoyed watching him grow up from a cute little tank running around the safari, excited to meet the other species in his habitat, to the character he is today. We will miss him coming up for a fuss in the mornings, but we are extremely happy that he has gone to a safari park with familiar surroundings. We look forward to hearing that he has become a father in the future and to visiting him in his new home. We are proud to have played a huge part in the future conservation of the species.

She continued, “Whilst we are sad to see Granville leave, the team are thrilled to have another female to join the herd. Bonnie has settled in well now and has been mixed with most members of the herd so far which has been great. She has been out on safari enjoying the mud wallow and meeting the other animals. We hope to mix her with our male, Barney, very soon and look forward to having all nine rhinos out on safari for guests to enjoy seeing.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by the keepers at Woburn Safari Park. Rhino Keeper at Woburn, Zack Turner, said, “It’s always sad to see any of our animals go, especially Bonnie. She’s a great rhino to work with and has so much personality. Although it’s sad to see her go, the chance to hopefully have a breeding group of rhinos, with the introduction of Granville is something that excites us all. With white rhinos being a species that face a lot of struggles out in the wild, breeding them here at Woburn would be a great step in the right direction for their conservation. Our team were ready to welcome Granville with open arms and plenty of hay!”

Since arriving at the Park, Bonnie has taken some time settling in and getting to know the other rhinos in neighbouring paddocks in the rhino house. This includes four adult females, breeding male, Barney and three youngsters, one of which is Jambo – Bonnie’s nephew.

This is also where Bonnie met her sister Ailsa for the first time, which was mostly uneventful! The pair greeted each other, had a short pushing match which lasted only a minute or two before they went off to share some hay.

The next steps were introducing her properly to the herd out on the Safari Drive, as well as the rest of the neighbours – giraffe, zebra, buffalo, eland, waterbuck and baby rhino, Malaika, who has taken a real interest in her new companion.

Bonnie has also been seen enjoying playing with the youngsters, including her nephew Jambo, but has been following Ailsa’s lead when on safari, to learn the daily routines and best spots to get hay.

Both Ailsa and Bonnie started life at Blair Drummond Safari Park, with Ailsa being the second calf to be born to parents Dot and Graham in 2009 and Bonnie arriving seven years later in 2016.

Ailsa moved to West Midlands Safari Park in 2012 – four years before Bonnie was born, so has never met her sister until now.

Animal Collection Manager at Blair Drummond Safari Park, Kristine Fennessy Alexander, commented on the legacy that started at the Scottish attraction, “We are incredibly proud of the success of our Southern white rhino breeding programme at Blair Drummond Safari Park. It’s a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team and the collaborative efforts of parks across Europe. The swap of Granville and Bonnie highlights the vital role that zoos and safari parks play in the conservation of this magnificent species.

“Bonnie’s move to West Midlands Safari Park, where she joins her older sister Ailsa, is a beautiful story of family ties spanning across generations. Dot and Graham, our beloved breeding pair, have been integral to this success, contributing an incredible six children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren to rhino conservation efforts.

“We’re delighted to see our extended rhino family thriving and contributing to the genetic diversity and future of the species. We look forward to seeing the joy that Bonnie and Ailsa’s reunion will bring to visitors and to continuing our collaboration with West Midlands Safari Park and others in EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP).”

Southern white rhinos are classed as ‘near threatened’ by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), with around 16,000 remaining individuals in the wild.

The population of white rhinos has recovered greatly since almost becoming extinct in the early 1900s, but despite being somewhat of a conservation success story, they are the subspecies of rhinos most threatened by poaching.

This is why it is so important for wildlife parks to continue to work together on animal moves such as this, to do their part to help conserve endangered species.

The nine southern white rhinos can be seen on the four-mile Safari Drive and the African Walking Trail, included in the admission charge.

More information is available on the Park’s website: www.wmsp.co.uk