Taronga Western Plains Zoo is pleased to announce the arrival of Winston, a two year old Southern White Rhinoceros from Australia Zoo in Queensland.

Winston, with a team of Australia Zoo keepers, travelled overnight from Australia Zoo arriving in Dubbo at around 5:30am Friday 19 June.

Winston was taken to a dedicated behind the scenes yard where he was unloaded and released without a fuss. Zoo keepers were extremely happy with the transfer, how Winston travelled and how quickly he settled into his new surroundings.

Winston spent four weeks in quarantine where he was introduced to his new keepers and to another young White Rhino, Macheo, who was born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo two years ago to first time mother Mopani. The pair of youngsters will start their own bachelor group as they would do in the wild, and become part of the zoo’s successful breeding program in the coming years.

White Rhino keeper Jacqui Stewart says: “Winston has settled in well. The two males are getting along very well together; there has been a bit of playing and running around in their grassy yard which is great to see.”

Southern White Rhinos once roamed much of sub-Saharan Africa, but today are on the verge of extinction due to poaching for their horn. Unfortunately only about 11,000 white rhinos survive in the wild so the conservation and care of this herd species is extremely important and Taronga Western Plains Zoo is proud to be able to contribute to the preservation of White Rhinos.