New phase of life

Rhino cow leaves Salzburg Zoo for Spain

The rhino will live in northern Spain in future.(Bild: Zoo Salzburg)

Salzburg Zoo is sending a young rhinoceros cow to Spain. Tamika, as the animal is called, has been carefully prepared for her journey and is now setting up camp in a 750-hectare wildlife park. But visitors to Salzburg can rejoice: a new young rhino cow will soon be arriving from Germany.

An era has come to an end at Salzburg Zoo: The young rhinoceros cow Tamika, born on June 3, 2020, has left her hometown and will live in the wildlife park "Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno" in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria in the future.

It was visibly difficult for the zoo staff to say goodbye to Tamika, who at four and a half years old has not quite reached the size of her mother and currently "only" weighs around 1.5 tons. Managing Director Sabine Grebner wistfully remembers the first exciting days: "We all remember the eagerly awaited birth and Tamika's first trips to the outdoor enclosure, when she galloped off with her oversized feet."

Weeks of preparation for a stress-free journey
Preparations for Tamika's departure started back in August: Salzburg Zoo began special training early on to make her transition as stress-free as possible. A large and stable transport crate was set up in the white rhino enclosure weeks before the move. With patience and practice, Tamika became accustomed to entering the crate and eventually spent more and more time in it in a relaxed manner - an important prerequisite for starting the journey calmly.

The rhino cow was transported in this box.(Bild: Zoo Salzburg)

A new home in the large wildlife park
Her new home, the "Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno", is a 750-hectare wildlife park on a former open-cast mine site that is perfect for keeping the gray giants in a species-appropriate way. The decision to build this park was based on the recommendation of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP) for southern white rhinos. "The EEP coordinator recommended Cabárceno as the ideal location for Tamika," explains curator Lisa Sernow, who traveled to Spain with two keepers to look after the rhino cow on her arrival.

Commitment to species conservation
Salzburg Zoo participates in the European Conservation Program for rhinos. "The pressure on the rhino population in Africa due to poaching is particularly high," emphasizes Lisa Sernow. "That's why our work here in Salzburg is particularly important in order to secure a healthy reserve population in captivity."

And there is good news for visitors to the zoo: a new young rhino cow will arrive in Salzburg from Germany in a few weeks' time. "Even though it is hard to say goodbye to Tamika, we are looking forward to the new arrival," concludes Sabine Grebner.