The Living Desert celebrates World Rhino Day ahead of new ‘Rhino Savanna’ habitat opening

Celebrate World Rhino Day! In honor of the designation, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is celebrating World Rhino Day by announcing an official date for its long-anticipated opening of the new Rhino Savanna habitat. The grand opening will be held Friday, November 12, 2021.

The new four-acre habitat will welcome Jaali and Nia, two African black rhinos, as well as 12 other African species, including klipspringer, springbok, and waterbuck, along with cape vultures, and naked mole rats. According to The Living Desert, Jaali (pronounced Jolly) is a nearly two-year-old eastern black rhino who will be arriving from the Potter Park Zoo. Nia (pronounced Ny-a) is a 3-year-old rhino who will come from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

World Rhino Day brings attention to the incessant practice of poaching and illegal trafficking of the large mammal. There are five species of rhinos: the black African rhino, the white African rhino, the Sumatran and Javan rhino of Indonesia, and India's greater one-horned rhino. The day celebrates the five species of rhinos and brings awareness of the greatest threat they face, which are humans, according to The Living Desert. Rhinos are currently categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

The Crossroads of Conservation Construction Site

The Construction Site webcam allows you to follow along with the progress being made as the crew finishes up work on phase 2 of Crossroads of Conservation. The Living Desert is scheduled to open the new Rhino Savanna in Fall 2021.

The African Savanna

The African Savanna webcam gives you a look at what the herd of giraffes is up, or you can check out the guinea fowl running around, or see the greater kudu graze the hills, and maybe after watch ostrich frolic around the habitat.