Animal Keeper's Association of Africa

NUTRITION

ENRICHMENT

THE NATIONAL ZOO South Africa

Mbani loves playing ten-pin bowling.
We erect poles of different sizes and heights at random in and around his camp.
We then place apples and or pears on top of the poles. On letting out Mbani he goes around knocking the poles down in order to get to his rewards.

Tyre ball
350kg object made out of tractor tyres rolled into a ball. this object is interacted with and enjoyed by Mbani.
He rolls it around, pushes, climbs onto and generally touches base with it on a regular basis.
The keepers remove it often, in order to keep it fresh and interesting.

TRAINING TECHNIQUES

ENCLOSURE NEEDS

NATURAL HISTORY

White Rhinoceros
Order: Perissodactyla   Family: Rhinocerotidae   Genus & Species: Ceratotherium simum

* Identification – The White Rhino is the world’s second largest land mammal – the Elephant being the largest. The animal’s name has nothing whatever to do with colour, but is a corruption of the Afrikaans word “Weit” meaning ‘wide’ and refers to the shape of the mouth, this being the most obvious difference between the two African species. Far bigger and heavier than the Black Rhino the head is large, square-shaped and carries two horns. The front horn is the larger of the two, averaging 60 Cm's in length; the rear horn is shorter and thicker. The ears are large and oval in shape, the eyes are small and the eyesight is rather poor. The huge body is covered with a thick hide of pale grey skin. The tail is short, terminating with stiff hairs.

* Feeding. They feed by grazing, using the wide mouth and strong lips to crop short grasses. They will feed throughout the day and night, but usually seek shelter from the hot midday sun. They will drink several times a day if water is readily available but during the dry season they can subsist by drinking . In spite of their bulk they are surprisingly quick and maneuverable.

* Breeding. Young: One only, Gestation: 16 months,Sexual Maturity: 6 – 7 years,Births: No specific season, but peak occurs after the rains.Lifespan:Up to 40-50 years,Lifestyle: Solitary, although from time to time animals,Usually of the same sex, may gather together.Diet: Herbivorous

VETERINARY NEEDS

OTHER

LINKS

http://www.rhinos-irf.org

http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com

http://www.rhinokeeperassociation.org