This is Nia, a 3-year-old African Black Rhino who arrived at the new Living Desert habitat two days ago with her male counterpart, Jaali. They took a cross-country road trip from zoos in the Midwest to their new $17-million dollar savannah that they share with a host of pelicans, birds, springbok and mole rats. I’ve watched construction of the complex for more than a year and was quite excited to see the new arrival. Black Rhinos are critically endangered due to poaching and live mostly in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.
