Hand-rearing is not an option
Mother refused milk: Zoo director explains why the baby rhinoceros had to die
The rhino “Kibibi” in the Augsburg Zoo. The female surprisingly gave birth to offspring on Thursday, but then refused to give the animal milk.
© Augsburg Zoo / DPA
Rhino mothers who do not want to suckle their calves do not always mean an immediate death sentence for their offspring. The director explains why Augsburg Zoo saw no other way out this time.
The joy of the unexpected rhinoceros offspring only lasted for a short time. At the Augsburg Zoo, the pachyderm lady “Kibibi” became a mother on Thursday, much to the surprise of the staff there. Even hormone tests on her faeces had previously given no indication of the stowaway in “Kibibi’s” uterus.
But like five years ago, the rhino mother could not find her way into her new role. “Despite the intensive efforts of the keepers and the attending vets” – the zoo announced – she was not ready to provide her offspring with milk. On Friday evening, the decision was made to euthanize the extremely weak calf.
The zoo took this step with a “heavy heart”. They tried with all their might, says zoo director Barbara Jantschke at the request of the star. Caregivers would have distracted the mother by hand-feeding in order to let the child get to the teats. When she reacted aggressively to the drinking attempts, she was given a sedative. “Unfortunately, none of this was successful and the calf quickly weakened and was unable to get up.”
Bottle rearing is not possible without peers
Five years ago “Kibibi” gave birth to little “Kibo” and even then refused to give milk. Back then, zookeepers had bottle-fed the bull and thus saved his life. Many people, including on social networks, were now wondering why the zoo didn’t want to bottle this rhinoceros baby too. Five years ago, “Kibo” was lucky enough to have a fellow of the same age with whom he was able to learn typical rhino social behavior. But Thursday’s baby would have had to grow up alone among people, if it had only been bottle-fed.
on star-Question, Zoo Director Jantschke explains why keeping the animal individually was not an option. When it comes to rhinos, it is always about species protection and conservation. The rhino spaces in Europe’s zoos are very limited. It is therefore important that “the rhinoceros population that is kept breeds”, ie reproduces, “and shows social behavior that is customary for the rhino”. In the case of hand-rearing, the animal would “be imprinted on humans, see them as conspecifics, possibly even as sexual partners, and consequently have no interest in other rhinos,” says Jantschke.
Source: DPA, Augsburg Zoo