Assam Rhino Reserve, a special exhibition in Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, will exhibit a male great one-horned Rhino named Taj.
The exhibition opens on May 5 and for the first time rhinoceros will be a part of the 92-acre conservation institution in the zoo’s 118-year history.
The one-horned rhino ‘Taj’ meaning crown was born on November 10, 2016 at San Diego Zoo Safari Park and is the 70th greater one-horned rhino born at the Safari Park since 1972, making the Park the foremost breeding facility in the world for this rhino species.
Assam Rhino Reserve was made possible by private donations from generous individuals, families, corporations and foundations, as well as funding from the Seattle Park District. Additionally, operational funds for rhino care, conservation, and accessibility will be raised on an ongoing basis, including through a spring 2018 multi-channel campaign.
Also known as the Indian rhino, the greater one-horned Rhino is second in size only to African white rhinos. It has a single horn that is about 8 to 25 inches long; a gray-brown hide with skin folds which gives it an armor-plated appearance, reports Q13 Fox.
Assam Rhino Reserve will also exhibit Asian brown tortoises and demoiselle cranes. Rhinos are iconic symbols of the wildlife trafficking crisis. The exhibit will highlight the impact of poaching, the illegal wildlife trade and the turtle extinction crisis.
According to the International Rhino Foundation, the population has increased to an estimated 3,600 thanks to conservation efforts and strict protection from Indian and Nepalese wildlife authorities and collaborative efforts of NGOs.