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Hannover Zoo Presents New Eastern Black Rhino Bull to Lead Breeding Effort

The five-year-old Nasor replaces Kito under a Europe-wide breeding program that builds a genetically robust reserve population.

Overview

  • Nasor, a five-year-old male moved from Rotterdam in December, was officially unveiled in Hannover as the new breeding bull for the eastern black rhino.
  • The exchange sent former Hannover male Kito to Rotterdam under the European Endangered Species Programme to reduce inbreeding across participating zoos.
  • Keepers report classic bull behavior from Nasor and clear interest in the cow Maisha, with introductions limited to staged, indirect contact for now.
  • The zoo plans a potential first meeting in spring if biologically appropriate, and any successful mating would be followed by an estimated 15-month gestation.
  • Hannover’s push supports a subspecies with about 500 individuals in the wild, and the EEP has previously aided reintroductions such as five rhinos sent to a Rwandan national park in 2019.