Southern white rhinoceroses, the second-largest land mammals on the planet, are on the verge of extinction. In an effort to save them, a zoo in Taiwan is preparing to send a young female white rhino to Japan with the hopes that she will breed.

Meet Emma.

Emma is five years old, 2.5 meters long, and weighs 682 kilograms. According to The Mainichi, the plan is for Emma to mate with her partner-to-be, a 2-year-old southern white rhino named Moran, at the Tobu Zoo and Amusement Park in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, Japan.

Since Emma is sexually mature (between 4-5 years old) and of a smaller size, she was chosen for this mission. But since female rhinos don’t typically have their first calf until 7 or 8 years of age, it will be at least three years before she gives birth.

The Executive Assistant Manager of the Leofoo Development Co., Tony Laing, advised the following:

“We currently count only around 18,000 of the white rhinoceros species in the world right now, they are on the edge of being extinct.

If we do not exercise our obligations of being a citizen of planet Earth, this species will only be seen in films and as specimens.

The marriage between Emma and her partner-to-be is a historic event in the history of animal diplomacy between Taiwan and Japan.”

Emma is currently being trained to understand Japanese commands, which will help her adapt to her new environment.

Until Next Time…

(Sources)

Photo Credit: PHYS and Mainichi

Endangered Southern White Rhino to fly to Japan to breed. (2021, March 04). Retrieved March 21, 2021, from https://www.africanews.com/2021/03/04/5-year-old-southern-white-rhino-to-fly-japan-to-breed//

Taiwanese zoo’s white rhino ‘Emma’ to be sent to Japan next month. (2021, March 03). Retrieved March 21, 2021, from https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210303/p2g/00m/0na/049000c