I have a couple of questions about the cities rhinos; Has either collection bred from their respective southern white rhino? Will the zoo be keeping their Indian rhino long term or will they be concentrating on their very successful black rhino group only? and where does this leave the much maligned rhino house at the zoo? Thanks in advance.
I try to answer your questions: 1. Defenitely no. The Zoo has kept only one pair, but they never mated, the Tierpark has kept four animals with the same result. 2. At this time, this question can only be answered by Dr.Knierim himself, the masterplan hasn't publsihed yet, but it would make sense to have at the zoo only black rhinos and atthe Tierpark Indian Rhinos-and from my Point of view, I could imagine Knieriem will do this, becuase the Tierparks female"Jhansi"is doing well with the Zoos male, but not with the Tierpark's bull"Belur", so it is necessary every timeto send here over to the zoo to be mated by"Yodha". 3.The former Zoodirector had the plan to build a new rhino house,with its front in the style of the old Ostrich house in egytian style, which was destroyed in the second world war.So Blaskiewitz is gone, and I'm afraid, also this very ncie idea-the combiantion of a modern new animal building with a historic building was excellent, but as you maybe know, Knieriem comes from Hannover, and he isn't a guy of the historic times of the zoos...So i guess, this idea is dead.If he will build a new rhino house, which is necessary, the current house is 50 Years old, will show the masterplan.
Thanks Bib, i do hope the zoo can replace the rhino house to extend the black rhino group, i guess you are saying that neither collection will hold white rhino any more.
@kiang, who knows, as there are rumours about creating an African savannah enclosure at Tierpark, so white rhino would fit in that well.... But we will have untill the new masterplan is revealed...
Yeah, the White Rhinos in our captial are gone since years, I think, around 2002/3 The winners at the Tierpark were the Indian Rhinos-since the Whites have left the park, the Indians have two exhibits,which is urgently necessary for that species. Until that day, the male and the female could use the outdoor exhibit only in change.... As you might know, the zoo has two rhino houses and I think, currently there is no need to expand the group. Because Knierim isn't a species collector as his predecessor was,I would'nt expect to see white rhinos again in Berlin.White rhinos would mean to build another warm stable, and I bet, he wouldn't get the money for that-for what ? The Tierpark has a rhino species, and thats enough for the common peole. But, we have to wait for the Masterplan, then, only then a we will know...
@Bib, I remember seeing a white rhino in Tierpark in 2007, according to zootierliste this old male died in 2008.
I wasn't sure about the year Berlins last rhino left the city, but as far as I know, it was the decison of the EEP-Coordinator to send teh Tierpark Rhinos to Salzburg-and Blaskiewitz wasn't happy about that-of course-he lost a species in his collection, and whats worse, a rhino species, one of his favourites.And whats worse for a collector than to loose a part of his "collection"...Anyway,the last white rhino at the zoo, a bull with an unspeakable name,"Hlablamas" or so,died there-he was from the orginal import in 1963.
The last white rhino at Tierpark Berlin was male Kusini. He was sent to Emmen Zoo in March 2005. The Berlin Zoo white rhino male Hlambamans died Jan. 8, 2002 to be exact and was indeed the last of his species to be kept there. I would favor a swap of the breeding bull at Tierpark Berlin for the Indian rhino, so the female Jhansi no longer has to be moved back and forth in order to be with a compatible breeding male. Second and no less important, it would be best for the Indian rhinos to leave Berlin Zoo altogether and that a new Rhino House is built solely for their flourishing black rhino herd.
The swap of the indian rhino bull isn't a good idea-they should keep both bulls at the Tierpark to breed with them and the two females"Betty"and"Jhansi", but there is no space for two bulls-and the stalls for the rhinos are a desaster-a complete mistake construction of Dathe. And, whats happening to the female"Narayani"at the Zoo ? She had only one misbirth in 2007 and I don't know, if she is still able to breed. I agree with you, it would be defenitely the best to keep just one rhino species at each place.
I was actually thinking aloud with knowledge of the Tierpark Berlin rhino house where not sufficient stalling capacity is available to maintain 2 bulls in close proximity to one another. On top, I think that their curatorial staff along with the studbook keeper will probably decide to break off some members from the Berlin Tierpark / Zoo herd before not too long and transfer them elsewhere in order to house only one breeding group at a single location, this being Tierpark Berlin. I expect that bull Belur will leave Tierpark in due course and be replaced with bull Yohda here. The house can accommodate 2 breeding females with calves. I also think that at some point either Betty - and she the more likely - or Jhansi to leave Tierpark and be replaced with another unrelated and potential breeding female. To have the older female Narayani housed at Tierpark Berlin is extremely unlikely as her breeding potential is not looking good at all, nor has her past breeding record been all that promising. Allthough, I would be willing to take chances here with fertility drug treatment in order to enable her to have a healthy calf and carry it to full term.
