White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Managed care reproduction

• Estrus cycle variable
  • Lasts 30-35 days, 60-70 days, or a combination of long and short cycles

North American Zoos

• Current population size
  • Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) (from Charlton 2015)
    • 216 individuals, housed across 53 facilities as of 2014 October 2
      • 92 males, 122 females, and two juveniles
  • Northern white rhinoceros (C. s. cottoni) (from ZIMS 2015, San Diego Zoo Global 2015)
    • Last individual; housed at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, deceased as of 2015 November 22
      • Only two others in Kenya Ol Pejeta Conservancy
• White Rhino cam at the Houston Zoo in Texas

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

• Noteworthy events
  • 1962 September
    • First pair of southern white rhinos at the San Diego Zoo
    • Obtained from Umfolozi Game Reserve, Zululand as part of a strategy to save the subspecies from extinction by breeding them in managed care
  • 1971 February
    • First group (20) of southern white rhinos at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
  • 1972 October
    • First southern white rhino calf, Zibulo, born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
  • 1970-1990
    • More than 75 births occur within 20 years
  • 1991-2015
    • 94 total southern white rhinos born as of 2015 November 6
    • Rhino Rescue Center established, 2015 November
    • Last remaining northern white rhino in a zoo dies; San Diego Zoo Safari Park
• Current population (from ZIMS 2015)
  • San Diego Zoo
    • No white rhinos housed at the zoo, as of 2015 February 12
  • San Diego Zoo Safari Park
    • Southern white rhinoceros
      • 10 individuals, as of 2015 February 12
        • 3 males, 7 females
    • Northern white rhinoceros
      • None, last individual passed away 2015 November 22 (Nola, female)
        • 41 year old
          • Managed care breeding efforts were not successful
• Rhino Rescue Center, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance & Collaborators (San Diego Zoo 2015)
  • Established in 2015
  • Focuses on reproductive techniques to develop northern white rhino embryos
    • Utilizes cells stored in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Frozen Zoo®
    • Southern white rhinos will serve as surrogate mothers

Nola, a northern white rhinoceros receiving veterinary care at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Nola passed away in 2015. As one of then just four members of her subspecies left in the world, Nola's care was of the utmost priority for staff. All 3 currently remaining northern white rhinos have reproductive issues; reproductive efforts have yet to be successful.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Emslie and Brooks (1999)
Jones (1991)
Roth and Brown (1999
ZIMS (2015)
San Diego Zoo (2015)