Zoo Plans Breeding Rhinos After Success With Dholes, Wolves

HYDERABAD: This past March, the Nehru Zoological Park announced success of its first ever Indian Wolf breeding efforts with the birth of five pups, that was preceded by breeding success of the Dholes, or the Indian Wild Dogs, a pair of which too had a litter of five pups, which are now around a year old. The wolf pups, that almost seem as big as their parents, are now on display, as are the young Dholes.

After these recent successes, the zoo has embarked on a much tougher task of trying to get two of its rhinos, Suraj and Saraswati, to mate, hoping that the attempt will result in a successful breeding of the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros.

The challenges are several. Saraswati has to be just in the right stage of oestrus – the period when female non-primate mammals are in a sexually receptive state that also coincides with their ovulation. “If she is not ready, then Suraj will need to run to safety,” as female rhinos don’t really like to be pestered by a pesky male, Director of Zoos, Dr Sunil Hiremath said.

Incidentally, Suraj is no stranger to Saraswati and her moods just as she is not to his advances.

“Earlier they had two babies, Prema and Nanda,” Dr Hiremath said. “When Saraswati came here from Patna zoo, she was pregnant and gave birth to a male – Sai Vijay – who is now on display,” he added.

But despite their previous successful matings, things are not as easy as they seem like putting the two together in one enclosure. It is not uncommon for male rhinos to be at the receiving end of untimely advances, and even suffer some injuries as the female will have none of it, Dr Hiremath, speaking with Deccan Chronicle at the breeding kraal (a secure enclosure) for rhinos that is shielded from public view, explained.

Since the male chases the female and they run, the zoo staff moved Saraswati into a large kraal that has more than enough space for them to do their thing when the time comes. In the meanwhile, Suraj munching through choicest of grasses and snacking on sugar cane pieces, and bananas, waits for the right moment. Praveen, one of the rhino keepers explained that the Suraj can smell Saraswati’s urine which carried the chemical signatures of her readiness to mate, and when that happens, then the two will be allowed to get together.

“But if she is not ready and if the male is released into the enclosure she is in, then she can turn on him and that is not something Suraj might want to happen. So we are keeping a close watch on Saraswati, and her readiness to mate. Otherwise, the vets might have a job to do tending to possible injuries Suraj may receive in case the love run goes awry,” Dr Hiremath said.

If the attempt to mate the two rhinos becomes successful, Saraswati may give birth to her fourth calf after a gestation period of 15 to 16 months. In this period, she will be by herself as male and female rhinos go their separate ways once they mate. “We have had quite a successful run in breeding various animals over the past couple of years and we hope we can succeed with the rhinos too,” Dr Hiremath said.