News

20 June 2011

Keepers at Woburn Safari Park hope Kai the White Rhino will become a Father soon!

Kai the new male White Rhino at Woburn Safari Park was introduced to the females in his herd for the first time on Thursday 16th June.

WSP News Kai meeting herd

As the Southern White Rhino get acquainted, keepers are hoping that he will eventually breed with one of his new herd-mates and become a father. Kai arrived six weeks ago from Givskud Zoo and will be the new breeding bull in the herd. Kai is what the animal keepers refer to as ‘proven’, having fathered a calf at his previous home in Givskud, Denmark.

The lady Rhinos; Pongola, Mirijam, Mkuzi and Mtuba-tuba took well to their first introduction. Kai stamped his feet and gave each of them a good shove to make sure they knew he’s the new man about town - perhaps he’s doing the rhino version of pulling their pigtails!

Kai is now 10 years old and weighs 1900 kilograms, that’s just under 2 tonnes! It may be a while before we hear the patter of rhino hooves, as the pregnancy of a Southern White Rhino is 16 to 18 months!

Fingers crossed Kai finds his perfect mate!