Baby plan for Halls Gap Zoo
Halls Gap Zoo has a ‘very strong’ chance of welcoming a special new member to its extended family within the next few years.
A baby rhinoceros is ‘on order’ for the Wimmera wildlife sanctuary as part of an international rhinoceros conservation program.
Zoo owners and staff have embarked on a slow but special journey with their rhino-breeding program, and a jampacked events timeline will come into full swing this year.
The zoo captured plenty of attention in October last year when male southern white rhino Kifaru arrived as part of a breeding project.
Kifaru is earmarked to have an important job of siring a new generation of rhinos in efforts to protect the species.
Zoo co-owner Greg Culell said the program would help provide a safety net for populations in Australia as rhino numbers steadily declined in the wild because of excessive poaching.
“Poaching of rhinos is surpassing reproduction rate, particularly because of their longer gestation period,” he said.
“So, the idea is to have insurance for the population, so that if they become extinct or critically endangered in other areas, we have a reserve of rhinos here.
“There is a very, very strong chance of reproduction with our program.
“Three of the female rhinoceroses in Werribee are cycling at the moment – they are just waiting on a bull.
“Hopefully in about four years there will be young rhinos.”
Kifaru will be ‘crate-trained’ before he is ‘swapped’ with another male rhino, Kapamba, from Werribee Zoo, about May.
This system is designed for Halls Gap Zoo to always be home to one male bull, and to allow Kifaru to breed naturally with three potential females at Werribee.
Mr Culell said a three-year-old bull from New Zealand would also join Halls Gap, potentially in July to August, to provide further long-time variability within the program.
“The only reason we are doing a swap is because Kapamba already has a daughter at Werribee, and we are looking for a fresh genetic match,” he said.
“We could use artificial insemination, but natural mating is always the best circumstance, particularly for the animals.
“Kifaru will be collected for semen on April 11 as well, because the more genetic matter we have in reserve, the more likely we will be able to preserve the species if there is further population decline.
“It is just a long, slow process. We do not get any government grants or additional money, other than the little bit from the public through entries and donations.
“Entry is up by 20 percent this year, which definitely helps cover costs of rebuilding and our new enclosures – the whole rhino enclosure alone cost $300,000. But our rhino encounter is very popular. How often do you get to be up close and touch a rhino?”
If rhinos, however, are not quite your ‘thing’, Mr Culell confirmed a variety of other exciting developments for the zoo and its visitors, including a rebuild of primate and wombat enclosures and the introduction of two maned wolves.
“As we raise money, we either replace or add something new to keep variety and interest, it is an ongoing process,” he said.