Greater one-horned rhino departs RZSS Edinburgh Zoo as part of vital breeding programme

02/12/2015 in Edinburgh Zoo

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is committed to the conservation of endangered species and as part of the Society’s role in an overarching European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), Samir – a greater one horned rhinoceros – left the collection at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo on 26 November for a zoo in Turkey.

The two male rhinos at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo have now reached an aged where they are sexually mature and, as part of ongoing international efforts to save the species from the threat of extinction, RZSS Edinburgh Zoo has sent Samir to a zoo in Turkey where he will be paired with a female as part of the breeding programme. It is hoped that the pair will breed and help further reinforce the safety net population of this threatened species. The move mimics the natural process of rhinos in the wild, with males becoming solitary once they reach breeding age and dispersing in order to find a suitable mate.

The decision to move Samir was the result of recommendations from the European endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP) Studbook for greater one-horned rhinoceroses, which makes recommendations on which rhinos should go where and who they would be best paired with, to ensure genetic diversity. In this way, zoos across the world work together to ensure the conservation of threatened species, including the greater one horned rhino. 

Darren McGarry, Head of Living Collections at RZZS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “RZSS Edinburgh Zoo has a long history of rhino conservation and Bertus and Samir are the second pairing of bachelor greater one horned rhinos which have been in our care.

“When Bertus and Samir arrived as youngsters we knew that they would eventually move on to other collections as a part of the wider European Endangered Species Programme, so whilst we are sad to see him go we are also happy that he will be joining a mate and hopefully producing a calf in the near future.

“Rhinos will continue to be a key part of the collection at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo as we continue working up our plans for the next generation of rhinos at the Zoo.”

The other male rhino, Bertus, will remain at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, whilst RZSS works on plans for the future of the species in Edinburgh. The two male rhinos have always been friendly but as they have reached sexual maturity, their relationship has naturally become more fractious, as male rhinos of their age are used to being solitary in the wild.

Various rhino species across the world are under increasing threat of extinction as a result of poaching and habitat loss. Greater one-horned rhinos are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of threatened species but are considered to be endangered in the wild. Greater one-horned rhinos (or Indian rhinos as they are also known) are a great conservation success story as they previously faced extinction in the early 1900s, but as a result of continued conservation efforts their numbers have increased significantly, with population estimates now sitting at over 3,000. This figure is, however, still dangerously low, and much still needs to be done to protect the species from poaching and habit destruction.

As well as being a part of the European Endangered Species Programme, RZSS – alongside its partner TRACE Wildlife Forensics – is helping combat the illegal wildlife trade using cutting edge forensic techniques such as DNA sequencing and profiling. This helps us determine the origin of wildlife products such as rhino horn and support effective law enforcement in the country in question.

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