ZOO ATLANTA WELCOMES DAKARI THE SOUTHERN WHITE RHINO

16-year-old female will become the newest member of the herd in the Zoo’s rhino complex

ATLANTA – October 13, 2023 – Zoo Atlanta is very pleased to welcome Dakari, a 17-year old female southern white rhinoceros. Dakari arrived in Atlanta on October 13, 2023, from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Her move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) White Rhino Species Survival Plan® (SSP).

Dakari will ultimately meet Mumbles, the 12-year-old male southern white rhino at Zoo Atlanta, and 21-year old female Kiazi. Zoo Atlanta announced in May 2023 that Kiazi, who arrived at the Zoo in 2021 on another recommendation from the White Rhino SSP, is expecting a calf between December 2023 and February 2024. The birth would make Mumbles a first-time father.

Zoo Atlanta is an active member of many SSPs, which are collaborative programs working to ensure self-sustaining, genetically diverse animal populations in AZA zoos.

“We are delighted to welcome Dakari to Zoo Atlanta, as a new companion for Mumbles and Kiazi and hopefully also as a future contributor to the population of southern white rhinos in human care,” said Jennifer Mickelberg, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. “Dakari, Mumbles, and Kiazi have a very important conservation message to share. In getting to know and appreciate them, we hope our Members and guests will get a better understanding of the everyday actions they can do in their daily lives to preserve future generations of these incredible animals in the wild.”

Unlike other rhino species, which are more solitary in nature, white rhinos are known to travel and associate in groups in the wild. The largest of the five remaining rhino species, they are not actually white. The moniker “white rhino” is instead believed to have originated with the Afrikaans word wyd, meaning “wide” – a reference to the shape of white rhinos’ upper lips.

While poaching for their horns is a serious issue for all rhinos and has already resulted in the extinctions and near-extinctions of some species, southern white rhinos are especially vulnerable because they often occur in herds, making it easier for poachers to locate them. Powdered rhino horn is believed by some cultures to possess medical properties, although rhino horns are made of keratin – the same substance found in human hair and fingernails – and have no known medicinal value.

Dakari will have an opportunity to become acclimated to her new home before being introduced to Mumbles and Kiazi and before exploring the outdoor habitat of the Zoo’s rhino complex, which was redesigned for rhinos with the opening of the African Savanna in 2019.

Stay tuned for updates on when visitors will be able to see Dakari, and learn more about the Zoo’s animals, mission, and programs at zooatlanta.org.

(photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park)

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Davis
Director of Communications
404.624.2812 – office
rdavis@zooatlanta.org

Gavin Johnson
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
404.624.5980 – office
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, the only giant panda twins in the U.S.; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include the African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, bontebok, warthogs, meerkats and rhinos; Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination in the newly restored historic former home of the Atlanta Cyclorama; and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.