The Potawatomi Zoo has a bittersweet announcement to make. Masamba, the southern white rhinoceros, will be leaving the Potawatomi Zoo and moving to The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center in Cumberland, OH, accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). There is no set date for Masamba’s move; it will depend on a variety of factors. However, it is expected that he will leave sometime this fall. Currently, Masamba is behind the scenes getting acclimated to his transport crate, but the Zoo plans to give the community a chance to see Masamba before he leaves.
This move is being made as the result of a breeding recommendation from the Southern White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan (SSP). At The Wilds, Masamba will be introduced to a group of five to six female rhinos with the goal of breeding and contributing to the southern white rhino population within zoos.
SSP programs oversee population management of specific species within AZA-member institutions and manage breeding plans to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically stable population of species within zoos.
“It is never easy to say goodbye to one of our animals, especially an animal as iconic as our rhino,” says Josh Sisk, executive director of the Potawatomi Zoo. “I always say my favorite animal at the Zoo is my buddy, Masamba, but we must always remember what our mission as a zoo really is about and put our personal feelings aside. Participating in important breeding programs that will ensure southern white rhino populations are sustainable for future generations has to be our priority. We all look forward to knowing that Masamba’s genetic line will continue to grow as he produces offspring of his own.”
Masamba moved to the Zoo in 2019, when he was three years old. Since then, he’s become a community icon. Over the years, Masamba has given Zoo staff a way to introduce visitors to the importance of megafauna and the value of rhinoceros conservation. Each year, the Zoo celebrates Masamba’s birthday on April 2, and once, he even got a city ID on his birthday. For the last few years, he’s made Super Bowl picks with varied results, but always with decisive enthusiasm and charm. In 2021, the Zoo began rhino encounters, which allowed visitors to meet Masamba up close and touch him. They’ve been a positive experience for both visitors and Masamba: he enjoys the interactions, and visitors are awed by his size and gentle nature.
“Working with Masamba is an adventure. He can sometimes be as skittish as a horse or as stubborn as a mule but he is always up for some good scratches,” says Lauren Huber, lead zoo keeper. “I will miss his playfulness with us, like kicking up his heels and running along the fence line in his holding yard when he’s feeling energetic!”
The Zoo will be receiving a new southern white rhinoceros in the spring of 2026, based on a recommendation from the Southern White Rhinoceros SSP.
“Masamba, with his gentle, puppy-like personality, will be very hard to say goodbye to,” says Jami Richard, general curator of the Zoo. “At the same time, we are excited for his future and the important role he will play in the conservation of his species. His move also begins a new chapter for Potawatomi Zoo, as we look forward to welcoming a new rhino. We can’t wait to meet him, discover his personality, and see all the ways he will be just as extraordinary.”
Many thanks to MacAllister Rentals for their help moving Masamba safely and securely.
###
The southern white rhinoceros is the largest of the five extant rhino species. They can weigh between 3,500 and 5,000 pounds and live up to 50 years. Female southern white rhinos reproduce every 2-3 years and have a gestation of about 16 months.
At the beginning of the 20th century, it was estimated that over 500,000 rhinos of all species lived throughout the world. Today there are fewer than 30,000 wild rhinos across five subspecies in Africa and Asia.
Through conservation efforts, southern white rhinos have gone from being considered critically endangered to near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are now an estimated 18,000-20,000 southern white rhinos living in Africa. However, continued conservation of southern white rhinos, or any megafauna species, is critical to the protection of a vast and varied ecosystem. Poaching and habitat loss are the biggest threat to rhinos around the world, including the southern white rhinoceros.
