Excitement as southern white rhinos arrive at zoo

A pair of southern white rhinos have arrived at a Devon zoo for "the first time in decades".

Paignton Zoo said half-brothers Khulu and Benja arrived on 5 June from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. The species is currently classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the zoo said.

It said 20-month-old Khulu was born to parents Fahari and Sizzle, while two-year old Benja was born on 7 March 2024 to Jaseera and Sizzle.

Lisa Britton, head of living collections, said the zoo was "incredibly excited" for the species' return, adding that the pair spent their first 48 hours in Devon settling into their new indoor accommodation.

The zoo said the pair had moved into its newly renovated rhino house, adding they would be a key part of the new grasslands habitat loop.

Britton added: "We have now put them back together with each other, and on the first day, there was a lot of play-fighting.

"They are definitely very relaxed with each other, and around the keepers."

Both rhinos will continue growing until they reach full maturity at about 10 years of age. They are currently about 30 - 50% of the size of a fully grown adult male.

The zoo said the species was widely regarded as one of conservation's greatest success stories.

Thought to be almost extinct in the late 1800s, with fewer than 100 animals remaining in the wild, conservation efforts helped the population recover to more than 15,000 individuals, it added.

It said the species was native to the grasslands and savannahs of southern Africa, adding they are the largest living rhinoceros species, with adult males weighing up to 2.3 tonnes and measuring up to 4m in length.

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