One year with Bonnie the rhino

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Bonnie, the Southern white rhino’s, arrival at Woburn Safari Park.

On this day 365 days ago, the then four-year-old rhino arrived at the Park all the way from Blair Drummond Safari Park in Scotland.

The wee lass travelled 378 miles to her new home but settled in very quickly and it wasn’t long before the Park’s two female rhinos, Mirijam and Mkuzi, welcomed her into the crash.

Head of Reserves, Tom, gave us an update on Bonnie: “Bonnie settled into her home at the Park incredibly quickly, and now it feels as if she has always been here. She has a very cheeky personality, and is definitely a favourite for a lot of the team who look after her (just don't tell the other rhinos!).

“She can always be found following behind Mirijam, the eldest of the female rhinos, out in the main drive-through reserve. She loves to have a good wallow in the mud on a hot afternoon, and we often spot her having a scratch on the trees located around the Reserve too.”

The importance of Bonnie’s arrival

Bonnie is a Southern white rhino, a species that is sadly listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

In the late 19^th century the Southern white rhino was believed to be extinct, but in 1895 a small population was discovered in South Africa. More than a century of close protection and careful species management has meant that the species is now classed as Near Threatened but they still face a number of threats out in the wild. The main factors that rhinos face are the illegal rhino horn trade, habitat loss, and political conflict.

Bonnie was the 5^th calf to be born at Blair Drummond Park to rhinos Dot and Graham. It is hoped that in the future Bonnie will also take part in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for Southern White Rhino by becoming a parent herself.