Paris Zoo transfers white rhinoceros to Mexico

Wami, a 15-year-old white rhinoceros weighing 2,400 kilograms, has been transferred from the Paris Zoo to the Guadalajara Zoo in Mexico. The relocation was conducted via a chartered 12-hour cargo flight to help preserve the genetic diversity of the species.

According to Alexis Lécu, scientific director of the Paris Zoo, European breeding programs are currently saturated, with 326 white rhinoceroses distributed across 83 parks in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). Moving Wami to the Americas is a strategic effort to maintain genetic capital in a region where his ancestors are not present.

The white rhinoceros is classified as ‘near threatened’ by the IUCN, with approximately 16,000 to 17,000 individuals remaining in the wild across several African nations. Experts emphasize that the survival of the species depends heavily on the population maintained in both European and American captivity.