BUFFALO, N.Y. — Everyone give Romeo a warm welcome!
The four-year-old Eastern black rhinoceros recently join the Buffalo Zoo family after being transferred from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.
In return, Lulu the Buffalo Zoo's five-year-old rhino made the switch and went to Lincoln Park.
The swap was a part of the zoo's 'Species Survival Plan' that recommends the support of Eastern black rhino conservation.
“The Buffalo Zoo is proud to be a part of this major rhino undertaking,” said Lisa Smith, Buffalo Zoo President, and CEO in a release. “It is incredibly important that we continue to work together to save this critically endangered species. Moving these rhinos to their new homes gives each Zoo a chance to work towards the conservation of the species. There are currently 53 animals at 26 AZA-accredited zoos so every female being in a breeding situation is critical to the population.”
Romeo will spend the next few years at the Buffalo Zoo maturing before he is ready to bred.
"Lincoln Park Zoo is honored to provide a new home for Lulu,” said Cassy Kutilek, Curator of Carnivores and Large Mammals at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Lulu's arrival helps support this critically endangered population through the Eastern Black Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan. Romeo is an incredibly special rhino who is strong, calm, and observant, and we’re glad Buffalo Zoo is providing a new space for him to enter into adulthood."
Black rhinos are the most endangered mammals on the planet, and there is only an estimated 5,500 individuals remaining in the wild.
Factors threatening rhinos in the wild include
- poaching
- habitat loss
- climate change
The Zoo is open daily from 10:00am - 4:00pm.
To learn more visit buffalozoo.org