Living Desert’s new Rhino Savanna to open on Friday, Nov. 12
You'll soon be able to visit rhinos at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert!
The grand opening of the zoo's new four-acre Rhino Savanna will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 12.
The new state-of-the-art habitat is home to 12 African species, including the zoo's largest animals, two black rhinos named Nia (pronounced Ny-a) and Jaali (pronounced Jolly).
Jaali 
Nia
Nia and Jaali arrived at the Living Desert a few weeks ago. Jaali comes from the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan; Nia arrives from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio.
The habitat will also include expansive look-out points and picturesque views await guests where they will also encounter waterbuck, springbok, two species of pelicans, and a variety of other birds. There are also subterranean animals such as the naked mole-rat, among others.
Check Out a Live Look at the Habitat
“We are excited to officially welcome guests to the new Rhino Savanna. This expansion means so much to so many, and we look forward to celebrating this gift with the Coachella Valley,” said Allen Monroe, President/CEO of The Living Desert. “This new habitat reflects the successful collaboration of countless entities, including our donors, staff, board members, the Association of Zoo and Aquariums, contractors, and many others. This opening also signifies a deep commitment to The Living Desert’s conservation initiatives to protect black rhinos in their native range.”
The expansion project cost $17 million. With the funding coming from various sources.
"The funds from this kind of project come from our capital programs and so we've been doing fundraising for the last several years to raise the millions of dollars that are necessary that donors give us specifically to continue to improve the park on a master scale like this," Allen Monroe, President/CEO of The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens said last fall.
“Through years of planning and construction, the new Rhino Savanna is a cutting-edge space focused on animal wellbeing and choice,” said RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal Care. “I am so proud of the team for all of their hard work and efforts in making this space possible, as well as their ongoing commitment to the animals in our care. I am excited for our community to experience this new space and learn more about these fascinating animals.”
The Living Desert participates in several conservation initiatives that support black rhinos in Eastern and Southern Africa. Currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), black rhino numbers are staggeringly low – there are just 5,600 individuals in Africa. Black rhinos’ main threats are humans, and in particular, the rampant poaching of their horns for ill-perceived medicinal cures.
At maturity, three-year-old Nia, and Jaali, who turns two on Christmas Eve, will weigh approximately 3,000 pounds and stand about 5.5 feet tall at their shoulders. They were matched as a breeding pair through the Species Survival Plan (SSP). Because black rhinos are solitary species, except for breeding and rearing young, Jaali and Nia will each have distinct spaces throughout the Rhino Savanna habitat.
Meet Jaali: Jaali was born December 24, 2019 to mother, Doppsee, and father, Phineus, and his birth marked the first rhino birth at the Potter Park Zoo in its 100-year history. Jaali means “powerful” in Swahili, and according to his animal care team at Potter Park Zoo, he is very curious and loves attention. Jaali is coming from the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan.
Meet Nia: Nia, meaning “purpose” in Swahili, was born August 20, 2018 to mother, Inge, and father, Forrest. Her animal care team has shared that Nia is very intelligent and eager to learn and participate in her husbandry training. Nia will be arriving from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Living Desert is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m. For more information visit LivingDesert.org.
