Two Indian rhinos at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium are now in their new home. Jontu and Hellary are the first residents in the Asian Highlands exhibit, which will open to the public on May 25.
Jontu is a 10 year-old male who arrived in Omaha in 2011. Hellary, a 10 year-old female, followed soon after, in April 2012.
The rhinos have been matched to breed and they didn't waste any time. Having just reached breeding age, they bred for the first time last week. The animals were moved separately using a combination of zoo-owned and rental equipment. Both were loaded into crates and carried to their new area.'
The new Indian rhino area includes a state-of-the-art 3,800 square-foot barn featuring four-foot deep mulch covered soft flooring, a scale, diet prep area and four stalls, one of which is a quarantine area to be used by animal care staff to perform veterinary procedures.
The barn also has skylights, infrared heating, hydraulic doors, two points of entry to the outdoor areas and overhead showers that will help keep the rhinos’ skin moist during dry Nebraska winters.
Two outdoor yards, one 3,200 square-feet and another 21,500 square-feet, will allow for both rhinos to be outside, but kept separate when needed. Natural elements such as tall grasses, ephemeral streams and mud wallows are highlights of the outdoor areas and provide opportunities for scratching, rubbing and other natural behaviors.
Large canopy trees will provide much needed shade during hot summer months. Eventually, the rhinos will share the marshland yard with Pere David’s deer.