TBO.com
IS Tampa Bay Online
Published: Jun 20, 2003
TAMPA - Three endangered white rhinoceros
have been relocated from South Africa
to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
A male, Tambo, and two females, Mlelani
and Kisiri, are getting acclimated to their new 26-acre habitat
on the northern portion of
the attraction's Serengeti
Plain.
Park guests can get up-close views
of the white rhinos with the Serengeti Express train, which travels
through the open habitat, as well as from the skyride
and
the Rhino Rally off-road attraction. Sable antelope, greater kudu, defassa
waterbuck, sitatunga, wildebeest, ostrich and African crowned cranes
share the rolling plains
with the 4,000-pound rhinos.
The three rhinos were relocated from
Kruger National Park in South Africa as part of a plan to ensure
genetic diversification among
threatened and endangered
animals in zoological facilities, park officials said.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
was the world's first zoological park to feature free-roaming herds of animals
when it opened the 65-acre Serengeti Plain, more than 40 years
ago.
Although they are called white rhinos,
they are not colored white. Their name comes from the Afrikaans
word describing its mouth: weit, meaning ``wide.''
Early
English settlers in South Africa misinterpreted weit for ``white,'' according
to the International Rhino Foundation© 2003, Media General Inc. All rights
reserved
Member agreement and privacy statement
Privacy Policy
|
