![]() ![]() But they still can’t say for sure, and are keeping close watch. Handlers think they have some idea, and believe Eesha may be getting close to delivery, based on hormonal changes and her swelling udders. The normal gestation is 16 to 18 months, a long wait and a significant difference in potential due dates, especially when it’s not clear when conception occurred. Handlers have been conducting weekly thermal imaging to track the baby’s progress, catching moments of kicking and wiggling in recent days.īut it’s still not clear when the calf will arrive. “It’s been such a very long time coming, 15 years in fact, so we are absolutely thrilled about the prospect of a healthy, rambunctious southern white rhinoceros calf,” Safari West owners Nancy and Peter Lang said in a statement. Ultrasounds later confirmed a calf in the making. Handlers already had been monitoring Eesha’s hormone levels to try to understand her reproductive cycles and saw changes last year that indicated pregnancy, Smith said. His arrival marked a notable change in vibe of the rhino enclosure, where the introduced pair shortly engaged in the assertive behavior typical of courtship, including breeding attempts. He had sired several offspring elsewhere. Then came Ongava, now 25, in June 2021 as part of a recommended match from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ white Rhino Species Survival Plan. “We spent a lot of time trying to get them in the mood,” Smith said, but neither one proved more than a platonic companion to Eesha. Another male, Waldie, later joined the small crash - part of the normal trade of animals between zoos and wildlife facilities to try to improve health and reproductive success among animals. She came paired with a young male named Mufasa, on a breeding loan, said animal collections curator Nikki Smith. “White” comes from the Afrikaan’s word for “weit,” or wide, which refers to the animal’s wide, squarish mouth, evolved perfectly for grazing down large swathes of grass.Įesha’s journey to parenthood is part of plan to contribute to the population that started with her arrival in 2008 as a 4-year-old. Though called “white” they are actually dusty gray. About 16,000 individuals are believed to exist in the world. Click here to view this embed.Įesha is a southern white rhinoceros, listed as “near threatened” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. If Safari West should lose its appeal, it can apply for reinstatement in about a year.This device is unable to display framed content. They criticized the system of veterinary care and questioned the safety of the tour vehicles, an issue that was not raised in the accreditation report. KTVU spoke with two former employees, one who said Safari West is not the, "fanciful place that it is made out to be." Safari West says it is hiring a vet next year who will be on the grounds full time. ![]() If they are not here we are on the phone with them while they are on their way up here," says Hornbostel. "Having our vet care compromised is not true at all. The AZA cited problems with having all of its vets on contract working off-site. Located outside Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, Safari West draws 70,000 visitors a year to see 98 different species. Some of the information they were provided is not accurate," said Hornbostel. And that is why we are going through the appeal process. It says it has operated the same way for decades in how it acquires animals and sends them to other places without any past AZA objections. And that was an issue in this case," said Dan Ashe, President of the AZA. "Members have to show a very high standard of responsibility for where they get animals and where they sell animals to. SEE ALSO: Police warn residents of mountain lion sighting in San Mateo backyard The independent accreditation commission noted serious concerns with veterinary practices and care, and with how it acquires and removes its animals. ![]()
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