Date: February 24, 2016
Source: University
of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna
White rhinoceroses are among the largest
rhinoceroses in the world. Their natural habitat is southern Africa .
Due to the great demand for their horn, the animals are poached intensely and
threatened with extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) therefore placed the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium s. simum) on the red list of endangered animals. In
zoos, southern white rhinoceroses are considered easy to keep. The reproductive
success of captive animals has not been so good, however.
The wild animal experts Annika Posautz,
Felix Knauer and Chris Walzer from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology
at Vetmeduni Vienna investigated, among other things, how the housing conditions
of southern white rhinoceroses differed in zoos across Europe
and which health problems were most common. “We wanted to find out what sorts
of problems exist in European zoos and what could be improved. With the
exception of the reproductive tract, little is known in the scientific
literature about the health of captive rhinos. The animal management also
differs from zoo to zoo,” explains Posautz, the study’s first author.
Of 70 zoos contacted, 45 responded to the
online survey. One zoo from Israel
Most common health problems with skin,
digestive tract and reproductive organs
The survey showed that dermatological,
gastrointestinal and reproductive cases accounted for most of the health
problems among the animals. The dermal cases often involved wounds resulting
from aggressive interactions with other animals. Colic and enteritis were among
the most common gastrointestinal problems reported for white rhinoceroses.
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