Five rhinos arrive at Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Five southern white rhinos have officially arrived to the St. Louis Zoo WildCare Park in north St. Louis County, marking the park's first rhino herd.
The rhinos arrived in September and are settling in to park's new, state-of-the-art rhino barn, completed over the summer.
The St. Louis Zoo WildCare Park, a 425-acre site located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, is set to open to the public in 2027.
The white rhinos, once a nearly extinct species, mark a major milestone for Saint Louis Zoo officials.
“This moment has been years in the making,” said Martha Fischer, general curator at WildCare Park. “So much care and planning go into building a world-class home for rhinos from the ground up. It’s incredible to watch the first herd start to enjoy it.”
As the world’s second largest land animal, the rhinos at WildCare Park weigh between 4,000 and 5,300 pounds. They range in age from five to 27 years old.
The herd includes four females: Amani, Nikita, Helena and Future. They arrived from San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Amani, the largest rhino of the group, is a protective mother to 5-year-old daughter Future, who represented a milestone in reproductive science as the second rhino born in North America through artificial insemination.
The hard also include one male: 27-year-old Newton, who came to WildCare Park from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium.
All moves were guided by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative breeding program between accredited North American zoos dedicated to maintaining healthy populations.
The new rhino herd marks the first time in decades that St. Louis Zoo officials will care for white rhinos. The zoo will continue to care for two black rhinos at the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park.
Southern white rhinos were once nearly extinct with fewer than 100 estimated in the early 1900s. Now, they as classified as "Near Threatened" in their native land in Southern Africa. Conservation efforts have helped the species rebound to more than 21,000 as of 2012.
