Paignton Zoo has welcomed two young southern white rhinos, marking the arrival of a new species at the zoo and a major milestone in its ongoing development.
Half-brothers Khulu and Benja arrived at the zoo on Friday 5 June, following a carefully coordinated move from Whipsnade Zoo. The pair are the first large animal species to arrive at Paignton Zoo since Libéma became the zoo’s owner earlier this year, marking an exciting milestone in the zoo’s ongoing development. They will become a key part of the zoo’s new Grasslands habitat loop.
Khulu, aged 20 months, was born at Whipsnade Zoo on 2 October 2024 to parents Fahari and Sizzle. Benja, aged two years, was born on 7 March 2024 to parents Jaseera and Sizzle. Although still young, both rhinos will continue growing until they reach full maturity at around 10 years of age and are currently only around 30 - 50% of the size of a fully grown adult male.
The arrival marks the return of southern white rhinos to Paignton Zoo for the first time in decades. While the zoo has more recently housed black rhinos, the arrival of Khulu and Benja reintroduces this remarkable species to the collection.
The pair have moved into the newly renovated Rhino House, which has undergone extensive improvements in preparation for their arrival. The rhinos will also benefit from an expanded outdoor paddock, featuring new fencing and pathways that provide increased roaming space for the animals while improving viewing opportunities for visitors.
As this was the first move for both juvenile rhinos, additional measures were taken to ensure their comfort and wellbeing throughout the journey and introduction process. A keeper from Whipsnade Zoo remained on site following the move to support the transition and share detailed knowledge of both animals with the Paignton Zoo team.
While the process was deliberately gradual and the rhinos arrived later in the day, the move was completed successfully thanks to the expertise and professionalism of everyone involved. Paignton Zoo praised the outstanding work of both EKIPA, one of Europe’s leading large mammal transport specialists, and KAS Crane Hire, the family-run Barnstaple-based crane specialists.
Lisa Britton, head of living collections, says, ‘We are incredibly excited for the return of southern white rhinos here at Paignton Zoo, and they are settling in well. Within the first 48 hours, we let them settle and get used to their new indoor accommodation. We have now put them back together with each other, and on the first day, there was a lot of play-fighting. They are definitely very relaxed with each other, and around the keepers.’
The species is widely regarded as one of conservation’s greatest success stories. Thought to be almost extinct in the late 1800s, with fewer than 100 animals remaining in the wild, dedicated conservation efforts helped the population recover to more than 15,000 individuals.
Southern white rhinos are currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Native to the grasslands and savannahs of southern Africa, they are the largest living rhinoceros species, with adult males weighing up to 2.3 tonnes and measuring up to four metres in length. They also play an important role in maintaining healthy grassland ecosystems through their grazing behaviour. While numbers have declined in recent years due to poaching and habitat fragmentation, the southern white rhino remains a powerful example of the impact that long-term conservation action can achieve.
The arrival of Khulu and Benja reflects Paignton Zoo’s continued commitment to wildlife conservation, exceptional animal care, and creating engaging experiences that connect visitors with the natural world. While the young rhinos continue to settle into their new home, visitors may be lucky enough to catch their first glimpses of the pair from next week onwards.