Jamil the Rhino will be making his Fota debut today, as part of phase two of the Asian Sanctuary development.
The two and a half year old arrived from Whipsnade Zoo in the UK at the end of June and will be joined by two additional rhinos in the Autumn.
Speaking about the arrival lead warden Aidan Rafferty said “we are all very excited about Jamil's arrival, he is such an amazing animal and already weighs over a tonne despite being a 2 1/2 year old”.
The new arrival is also adjusting to his new €1m home at the beginning of the Asian Sanctuary which is equipped with an indoor pool for him to bathe in every evening. “He has settled in very well to the park, especially inside the house as he seems to love his pool and we are now getting him used to the outside area,” said Mr Rafferty.
Aidan Rafferty, lead warden at Fota Wildlife Park feeding Jamil
The male who will grow to an excess of 2 tonnes by the age of seven is part of the Indian Rhino family. They are unique in that they have just one horn and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The skin of the Indian rhinoceros is a highly distinctive characteristic, possessing body-like armour which in many ways looks prehistoric.
The Indian rhinoceros is also referred to as the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, weighing up to 2200 kg (4800 lb.) and can be found grazing in the flood plain areas of Northern India and Nepal. An Indian Rhino's diet includes leaves, fruit, and crops as well as a variety of aquatic plants which they may encounter while swimming.
Rhinoceroses are the largest land mammals after the elephant and are made up of five species; two African and three Asian. The African species include both the white and black rhinoceroses with both species possessing two horns. Asian rhinos include the Indian (or great one-horned rhinoceros) and the Javan, each with one horn, and the Sumatran, which has two.
In recent years, rhino numbers have declined due to poaching for their horn which is prized in Asian countries but also face threats from habitat loss and political conflict. Throughout history, Rhino horn has been used in folk medicine for its supposed healing properties, consequently rhinos worldwide are now facing extinction. Their horns are sometimes sold as trophies or decorations, but more often they are ground up and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
From this morning visitors to Fota Wildlife Park will be able to see the Rhino for themselves as they wall through phase two of the Asian Sanctuary. Phase two includes a 50m raised walkway that takes you over the rhino area and gives you views directly onto a new gibbon island which will be completed in the coming weeks.
Rhino facts:
• Rhinoceroses have poor eye sight. However, they compensate for a lack of acute vision by having an exceptionally well developed sense of hearing and smell. In fact, they use their enhanced sense of smell to seek out possible mates during the breeding season!
• To combat the heat, Indian rhinos tend to be most active during the cooler parts of the day and immerse themselves in nearby rivers and mud holes during extremes of heat.
• At around 4-6 years old, female Indian rhinoceroses are ready to mate. The males generally reach breeding age on reaching their ninth year, but only the largest and dominant male rhinos will mate. After a 15- to 16-month gestation period, the female rhino will give birth to a single calf.
• Male rhinoceroses do not help in rearing the young. Generally solitary creatures, except for mothers and offspring who stay together, Indian rhinos live in loosely-defined territories. These territories are marked with urine, faeces, and glandular secretions. That said, Indian rhinos may meet up at watering holes without fighting.
