Buffalo Zoo welcomes return of black rhinoceros

That changed Tuesday, when Lulu, a 2-year-old Eastern black rhino, arrived in her new home from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Lulu," said Christian Dobosiewicz, the zoo's communications manager. "We're happy for the community to once again see this species and to further our work here inspiring and teaching about conservation."

Lulu will live in the zoo's former elephant habitat, which will be modified to better accommodate her. She won't be on view to the public until early September. Until then she will be in the zoo's standard quarantine protocol as she becomes acclimated to her new habitat and the zoo's staff.

Eastern black rhinos, the smaller of the two African rhino species, are rare in zoos. There are just 59 of them in North American zoos.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has two breeding females that had calves two years ago. The zoo plans to reintroduce males for breeding in the near future.

"Collaboration with other accredited zoos is one of the ways we help to save species," said Norah Fletchall, Buffalo Zoo president and CEO. "With Lulu's arrival in Buffalo, our colleagues in Cleveland now have the opportunity to continue their excellent work in black rhino breeding and research."

Lulu is the Buffalo Zoo's fourth rhino, though she will live in a separate exhibit. The other three species — two males and a female, ages 1, 11 and 25 — are Indian rhinos.

The adult Indian rhinos at the zoo weigh around 5,000 pounds, while African rhinos are smaller, Dobosiewicz said. 

"It'll be interesting to see the difference between the two as Lulu grows up," he said.

Lisa Smith, the zoo's general curator, worked with Lulu's grandmother Inga from 1998 to 2001 as a keeper at the Cleveland zoo.