Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications, Contributed by Al Kennedy, Chad Harmon, Rhino Keepers
Our big one-horned rhinos, Taj and Glenn.Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
The term “substrate” refers to the type of material that covers the ground or surface inhabited by animals. It’s like flooring. So now we have a new “floor” in Taj and Glenn’s habitat. The process of planning and installing this was a big undertaking, but the benefits it brings to the rhinos and their health are enormous as well.
A bighorn rhinoceros in India’s Manas National Park, which is dominated by wetland forests and grasslands.Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Here comes a new foundation and a large construction project led by many talented people from all over the zoo. Our challenge was to add as many 2-foot wood chips of the right type as possible, both inside and outside the rhino habitat. This kind of “floor” allows the foot to sink into the tip when walking, distributing the weight on the toe instead of the hoof pad. This is exactly how nature designed them to walk. This makes it possible to mimic as closely as possible the “feel” of the wetland forests, floodplains and soft grounds in which these rhinos naturally inhabit.
Our rhino keepers were able to source the perfect wood chips made from maple and alder from a factory in the Northwest.Photo: Chad Harmon/Woodland Park Zoo |
We want to provide wood chips that are not only able to support the weight of the “big boys”, but are easy to obtain and safe to consume when they inevitably sample mouthfuls of freshly cut chips. I thought. Our amazing rhino keepers contacted multiple factories and were able to find the perfect variety of chips made from maple and alder from a small factory in northwest Oregon. Rhinoceros habitat abounds with connected gardens and indoor barns, and the “re-floor redoing” process for the entire rhino exhibit has a detailed construction schedule that includes a lot of planning, permitting, tilling, and clearing, with up to I knew it would take a year. Then we compacted the soil to make room for 1,100 cubic yards of wood chips. That’s the equivalent of 11 lorries or 55 bins full of chips. In other words, the “to do” list was long, most of which could only be done with heavy equipment operated by very dedicated outside contractors. And it required “hard work” by the many good people who make up animal control. Exhibits, projects, maintenance, gardening team!
Al and Chad, our wonderful rhino keepers, almost get covered in all of this wood debris.Photo: Chad Harmon/Woodland Park Zoo |
At first, rhino keepers wondered how the rhinos would react to this hectic project that would transform their gardens and their daily lives. But rather than trying to stay away from the commotion (which they could always choose to do), Taj and Glenn proved to be incredibly resilient. They were very curious and seemed very interested in seeing how the construction was going. Before long, the caretakers were playing “Musical Rhino” (we were able to watch Taj and Glenn work as they moved from yard to yard), troubleshooting drainage changes, and getting very busy. I started adding new tasks to my routine, such as managing a construction team.
Taj and Glenn were very curious and interested in all kinds of construction work.Photo: Chad Harmon/Woodland Park Zoo |
After months of planning and almost a year of construction work from July 2021 to May 2022, it’s finally time to ‘test’ the new floors throughout the exhibition. How will Taj and Glen move around on their new substrate? Will the ground beneath them mimic that of their wild cousins? The rhino team was amazed by what they saw. Eight massive feet, each supporting 1,000 pounds (yes, these pups weigh over 4,000 pounds each) sink smoothly into the wood, with every toe in the soft mixture. disappeared. yes! This is exactly the result everyone was hoping for, with additional health benefits due to the different weight distribution on the feet.
Training with positive reinforcement means using lots of delicious, expensive rhino treats.Photo: Elizabeth Butcher/Woodland Park Zoo |
Rhinoceros feet are very special and we want their toes to be as luxurious as possible.Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
This new flooring gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘living room’ and is of great interest to our sustainability team here at the Zoo. We actually found several types of mushrooms growing on mulch substrates. This is evidence of a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem on the surface of the earth itself. Our team has identified that all the fungi that thrive are non-toxic varieties that are commonly found in compost piles, so it won’t hurt Taj and Glenn if they want to “sample” mushrooms either.
Taj and Glenn seemed very interested in all the changes happening around them.Photo: Al Kennedy/Woodland Park Zoo |
We may be able to predict the optimal environment for an animal. Animals such as Taj and Glenn may also signal their needs. For our guests, perhaps the biggest difference in the Assam Rhino Sanctuary is that the ground looks a little different. You might occasionally lose sight of the cute rhino’s paws sinking into the ground because of the wood shavings. But for our rhinos and all rhinos in human care, the difference is much bigger and better.
The cute rhino toes are perfectly submerged in all the wood chips.Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo |
Taj and Glenn will be 7 years old later this year and are just coming of age. They still get along very well, but rhino keepers are keeping an eye out for changes in behavior that indicate they are ready to return to their homes soon. In the wild, mature males are mostly solitary, so this is perfectly normal and expected growth for these rhinos. And both rhinos will continue to benefit from this knowledge wherever the future holds, because what we are learning will benefit all zoos.