We’re enjoying the sunshine and the new and old faces that a summer holiday always brings here at Safari Zoo!

Two-year-old Southern White Rhino Spud turns three in October, and as part of the breeding programme he is approaching the age where he will move on to have his own family and hopefully have lots of little chubby babies of his own.

Spud was born here at Safari Zoo and it will be a bittersweet time for his keepers when the time comes for him to move on as they’ve built such a strong bond over the years.

He couldn’t live with his mum as he approaches breeding age and as he gets older the potential for conflict with his dad Muzungu and our other male rhino Huubke increases.

Africa Keeper Erica, Animal Manager Kim and Vet Nurse Kelly have been preparing by getting Spud used to living apart from his mum Ntombi with whom he shares a pen at night.

This started off by separating them for short periods in adjacent pens, extending the length of the separation to eventually Spud spending time outside without his mum and ultimately spending the night in a pen of his very own!

Some animals in zoos like Safari Zoo are chipped in the same way as pets.

This activity is part of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) legislation to eliminate the illegal trade in endangered species. Prior to any move, any animal needs to be microchipped.

Rhinos are chipped in the ear and Spud was successfully chipped ready for his potential move. He also needs a blood test which is proving a little more challenging!

Taking a blood sample is usually relatively straightforward with rhinos but our Spud hasn’t quite got the hang of standing still for long enough! The keepers continue to work with Spud, getting him used to being poked and prodded around the ear, and eventually we'll be successful.