Pembrokeshire now home to only herd of Black Rhinos in Wales

Two rare Eastern Black Rhinos are now calling Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo in Pembrokeshire home after recently arriving.

A male Black Rhino, named Nkosi, and a female, named Manyara, now mean that the zoo and adventure park in Pembrokeshire is the only place in the whole of Wales to be home to a herd of these endangered species.

People staying in Pembrokeshire cottages this autumn that decide to visit the pair can also boast that they have visited a only one of six zoos in the UK to hold Black Rhinos.

Zoo builds new enclosure for Rhinos

In preparation for the two new Black Rhinos, the Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo have built a new five and a half acre paddock.

The £500,000 paddock has been called Kifaru Reserve and has been purpose built to cater for all of the Rhinos’ needs.

The Eastern Black Rhino is critically endangered, with less than 650 believed to be left in the wild and there are only 66 of these types of Rhino believed to be home in zoos across Europe.

The Eastern Black Rhino has also been included on the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, which helps save critically endangered animals from extinction.

It is as a result of this programme that the Eastern Black Rhinos have come to Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo as the farm is a member of the scheme.

The breeding scheme will also see a third Eastern Black Rhino arrive at the park at a later date to make the herd stronger and to increase the likelihood of the herd breeding.

However, this breeding scheme will not start straight away as Jack Gradidge, Head Rhino Keeper at the zoo, told ITV.com.

He said, “A breeding programme will not start straight away as our rhinos are still too young, but it is something we hope to do as part of our Conservation Commitment and it is highly likely that a rhino calf born at Folly Farm will be re-introduced into the wild.”

Image Credit: Marie Hale (flickr.com)

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