Granby Zoo welcomes two female southern white rhinos

Hazina and Alice are two new female southern white rhinos at the Granby Zoo that arrived from San Diego in April. (Granby Zoo)

Three months after saying good-bye to Shaboola, the white rhino, Granby Zoo is welcoming Alic and Hazina.

The zoo, located about 80 kilometres away from Montreal, said the two four-year-old females arrived just over a month ago from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to join Granby’s male resident, K.C.

• READ MORE: Good-bye Shaboola: White rhino at Granby Zoo dies at 45

The zoo said in a news release that the 4,737-kilometre transfer of the endangered animals took several months to organize and was “carefully orchestrated down to the last detail and entrusted to experts.”

“Extra precautions must be taken to ensure the well-being and safety of the animals and the people involved in the operation,” the zoo said. “Four drivers took turns at the wheel of the 53′ trailer truck to cover the distance continuously, making only a few strategic stops for gas and to ensure the well-being of the animals. Water and food were available throughout the journey.”

Granby Zoo is a participant in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which was initiated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1981.

“[The AZA] develops a breeding and transfer plan that identifies population goals and recommendations to manage a genetically diverse, demographically varied and biologically sound population,” the AZA said. “Success is achieved when SSP animals are able to meet program goals and come from biologically sound populations as a result of a shared commitment to cooperative populations and program management.”

The two female rhinos at Granby Zoo are set to take part in the SSP’s breeding program.

“With their journey behind them, Alice and Hazina are now devoting their time to gradually discovering their new environment,” the zoo said. “Each one has its own personality and characteristics, and all these little peculiarities were generously shared with our technicians. Everything is going so well that the two females have already made their first outdoor visits and are visible to the public.”

Zoo staff are expected to introduce the two females to K.C. in the coming weeks.

White Rhino facts:

• The gestation period is around 16 months.
• They are the second-largest land mammal after elephants).
• The name “white” comes from the Afrikaans word “weit” meaning wide, which refers to the animal’s mouth.
• Two subspecies of white rhinos exist: northern and southern. There are only two northern white rhinos left on the planet, females named Najin and Fatu, at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
• The majority of southern white rhinos live in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
• A group of rhinos is called a “crash.”