TAJ & GLENN
Messengers from Nature
The rhino that should have never been born
Nearly three years after surviving a brutal poaching attack, the rhino Thandi gave birth to a calf on January 13, 2015 at Kariega Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. With footage of Thandi and her calf captured after the birth, this film by photographer and filmmaker Adrian Steirn documents Thandi’s journey from attack to recovery. This is a story of the rhino that should have never been born.
Hover over the rhino horns below to explore more.
Name: Rafiki
Species: Black Rhinocero
Age: 7 years old
Experience: Rafiki was protected by Zimbabwe government rangers. One day, the rangers received a report about a poaching crime, but the rangers could not get there on time. When they arrived at the site, they saw the body of Rafiki laying on the ground.
Rafiki >
Name: Xerxes
Species: White Rhinocero
Age: 20 years old
Experience: Xerxes was paralyzed by two poachers while roaming in South Africa. The poachers sawed the horn and sold it to a black market. Xerxes died by blood loss 5 days later.
Xerxes >
Name: Ugmak
Species: Black Rhinocero
Age: 30 years old
Experience: Many poachers believed Ugmak’s horn worthed a lot in black market. Ugmak was protected by volunteers and the Tanzania government rangers. However, one night, poachers sneaked into the reserved park and killed Ugmak for the horn.
Ugmak >
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"We are in a race against the clock. "
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The United States and Washington state have made great efforts in passing laws banning illegal wildlife trade of products made from endangered species. State by state, laws are passed that prohibit these sales within states as well. Besides, Woodland Park Zoo is trying to close the loophole and halt the black market for the wildlife animal items.
However, "we are in a race against the clock", said Elly Schofield, training designer at the Woodland Park Zoo. The animal poaching and trade are still happening internationally. Many animals are still getting harmed and killed by illegal poachers. The black market and the animal poaching push the extinction of the wildlife species and disrupt the ecosystem and animal diversity.
First Rhinos in Seattle
Woodland Park Zoo has welcomed its first two one-horned rhinos, Taj and Glenn, joining the Zoo in the 118-year history. Taj and Glenn live at Assam Rhino Reserve, which opens May 5, 2018. The zoo hopes that the exhibit will highlight the impact of the illegal wildlife trade.
The greater one-horned rhino is second in size only to African white rhino. They have single horn about 8 - 25 inches long; a gray-brown hide with skin folds giving them an armor-plated appearance.
The population rapidly declined to fewer than 200 in the 20th century due to human behaviors for their horns. According to the International Rhino Foundation, the population has recovered today to an estimated 3,600 thanks to conservation efforts and strict protection from Indian and Nepalese wildlife authorities and collaborative efforts of NGOs.
TAJ
Age: 18 months (By May 2018)
Birthday: Nov. 10, 2016
Hometown: San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego, CA.
Weight: 1,500 pounds
Personality: outgoing, enegetic
GLENN
Age: 18 months (By May 2018)
Birthday: Nov. 11, 2016
Hometown: Conservation center and safari park, Cumberland, OH
Weight: 1,500 pounds
Personality: shy, calm
Where are their horns?
Not grown yet.
"We owe it to them to save them."
Rhinos have been around for 40 million years. However, because of human behaviors and the loss of habitat, they now become endangered species. Rhinos are also the umbrella species. By saving the rhinos, humans are able to protect everything else that shares the ecosystem with them.
Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo
"Bringing rhinos to the zoo allows us to tell a powerful conservation story about hope—the vast network of partners, including zoos, that is focused on saving the greater one-horned rhino and the need to continue working to protect all rhino species."
-- Alejandro Grajal, Woodland Park Zoo president and CEO
#RhinoLookout
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In addition to the exhibit of Taj and Glenn, Woodland Park Zoo has a social media campaign, #RhinoLookout, in which people can interact and learn how to support rhino care at the zoo and fund efforts to protect and defend rhino habitat from poachers.
Woodland Park Zoo also supports the international Rhino Foundation’s Indian Rhino Vision 2020 project, which aims to see a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos in seven protected areas in India’s state of Assam by the year 2020.
