Southern white rhinos return to Paignton Zoo after ‘decades’ away

Paignton: 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 June 5 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.

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

Lisa Britton, head of living collections, said the zoo was “incredibly excited” for the species’ return. The pair spent their first 48 hours in Devon settling into their new indoor accommodation in the zoo’s newly renovated rhino house. They will 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.