The Oregon Zoo welcomed some big-time royalty recently: King, a 3,000-pound rhinoceros from Chicagoās Brookfield Zoo, arrived in town Sept. 10 and is making himself at home at the zooās new Rhino Ridge.
While heās still getting acclimated, guests may catch sight of King in the outdoor portions of the habitat as he explores his new digs.
āIf heās outside, heāll be hard to miss,ā said Kelly Gomez, who oversees the zooās rhino area.Ā āSo far, heās settling in really well, with a lot of attention and encouragement from his care staff.ā
King belongs to the eastern subspecies of black rhinoceros, which is considered critically endangered. In 2011, the western subspecies of black rhino was declared extinct.
āKing represents a species thatās among the most endangered on the planet,ā Gomez said.Ā āPoaching and the illegal wildlife trade have wiped out 96% of the worldās black rhino population. In South Africa alone, weāre losing almost a rhino a day.Ā Hopefully, we can help inspire a new chapter in the conservation of this incredible species.ā
To learn how small actions ā everyday decisions about what to buy and do ā can help protect this imperiled species, visitĀ oregonzoo.org/help-rhinos.
King was born at Chicagoās Lincoln Park Zoo in 2013, and moved to the Brookfield Zoo in 2016. His transfer to Portland was recommended by the Species Survival Plan for black rhinos, a cooperative program among accredited zoos to promote genetically diverse, self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species. A female rhinoceros is expected to join King at Rhino Ridge later this fall.
āWeāve gone from half a million to a few thousand rhinos left in the blink of an eye,ā noted U.K. naturalist Steve Backshall. āWhile those left in the wild are ludicrously precious, the rhinos that are in zoos (which were bred there, born there and cannot ever be released into the wild) are of disproportionate importance to their kind.ā
Rhino RidgeĀ is one of eight major projects made possible by theĀ community-supported zoo bond measureĀ passed in 2008, and was completed with a $1.2 million investment by donors to the Oregon Zoo Foundationās $8.5 million Heart of the Oregon Zoo campaign. Members, donors and corporate and foundation partners help the zoo make a difference across the region and around the world. To contribute, go toĀ oregonzoo.org/donate.
Source: Oregon Zoo