Endangered black rhino celebrates 2nd birthday at the Living Desert
Jaali, the male eastern black rhino now residing at The Living Desert’s new, expansive, multi-species Rhino Savanna habitat, is celebrating his 2nd birthday this Friday, December 24 with a quiet serenade from friends, a custom-made banana birthday cake, and a special virtual event to further black rhino conservation efforts.
In honor of the occasion, The Living Desert is hosting a fundraiser for one of its global conservation partners, Ol Pejet Conservancy, which, over the last decade has helped rejuvenate the black rhino population in Kenya while also expanding their protected areas.
The event goes live this Friday across all The Living Desert’s social media channels and will continue through Thursday, December 31.
For more information on how to contribute to Jaali’s birthday fundraiser benefitting Ol Pejeta Conservancy, visit Facebook.com/TheLivingDesert.
“Jaali was born on Christmas Eve 2019, with his name meaning ‘powerful’ in Swahili,” said RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal Care. “Since their introduction to the Rhino Savanna habitat in October, both Jaali and his female counterpart, Nia, are really thriving. These two have been strategically matched and we have high hopes for their future breeding success here at The Living Desert.”
Jaali (pronounced “Jolly”) arrived from the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, MI, with 3-year-old Nia (pronounced “Ny-a”) coming from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, OH. Their arrivals were based on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding recommendations set earlier this year.
The $17-million, four-acre Rhino Savanna opened in November of this year with state-of-the-art features that ensure animal well-being, including wide-open grasslands, rocky terraces, and a mud wallow and watering hole. Joining the black rhinos are a multitude of springbok, waterbuck, pelicans, and mongoose.
To learn more about Rhino Savanna, visit LivingDesert.org/Rhino.
The black rhino is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered, numbering fewer than 5,600 across Africa. Native to savannas and grasslands, they eat from trees and bushes, have distinguishing features including two horns, a prehensile lip, large cone-shaped ears, and thick skin, with mature adults weighing more than 3,000 pounds. Sadly, their main threats are humans, and in particular, rampant poaching for their horns as status symbols and for ill-perceived medicinal uses.
“As a leader in conservation efforts, The Living Desert supports numerous projects to help re-build the black rhino populations in Africa,” said Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation. “We partner with organizations to support innovative anti-poaching efforts, engaging community education and empowerment programs, while also combatting llegal wildlife trafficking both in Africa and here at home.”
To learn more about The Living Desert’s conservation efforts, visit livingdesert.org/conservation/.
The Living Desert is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the grounds and gardens opening at 8 a.m. Some attractions require additional fees. Purchase advanced tickets online at LivingDesert.org or by calling (760) 346-5694.
