A 12-year-old male rhino that was born in England and has been listed as ‘near-threatened’ by IUCN, was recently brought to a zoo in Switzerland to help breed a new generation.

Male Kimba, aged 12, belongs to the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) species which is listed as ‘near-threatened’ by IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, was brought to the Zurich Zoo in Switzerland on Tuesday on 3rd August.

The zoo authorities hoped that Kimba will be able to help them secure the species’ line by providing offspring as part of the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP), formerly known as European Endangered Species Programme .

Kimba was born in the Knowsley Safari Park in the Merseyside area in England on 4th December 2008, but was later moved to the Lille Zoo in France in 2011 and the Schwerin Zoo in Germany in 2016.

The Lewa Savannah in the Zurich Zoo which was inspired by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a wildlife sanctuary for the endangered black and white rhinos and other African animals at the foothills of Mount Kenya, is his fourth home ever since he was born.

Zoo Director Severin Dressen said: “Kimba survived the trip well. He was calm and relaxed yesterday evening and was particularly interested in his food. Kimba now has time to get used to his new environment and the new zookeepers.”

The 12-year-old bull weighs around 2.5 tonnes (5511 lbs), will remain quarantined for at least ten days, before he can be introduced to other rhinos named Tanda, Teshi, Talatini and Ushindi.

Dressen hoped that Kimba will quickly adapt in his new environment and said: “In Schwerin, unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Kimba with offspring. We now hope that the bull feels comfortable in our Lewa savannah and that the fresh air on the Zurichberg hill encourages him to reproduce.”

The white rhinoceros species, which is divided in southern and northern white rhinoceros, is one of five species of rhinoceros that was almost exterminated by humans at the beginning of the 20th century.

While the northern subspecies of the white rhinoceros is considered extinct in nature, the populations of the southern white rhinoceros have been able to recover somewhat thanks to strict protective measures and was estimated at 17,460 individuals as of late December 2007.

However, the species is still potentially endangered and according to the latest research populations are starting to decline again, due to illegal hunting because the species’ horn reaches extremely high values on the black market and habitat loss due to climate change.

Zurich Zoo has been committed to protecting wild rhinos and has collaborated with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya since 1998.

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which is a natural reserve, is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it represents a home to black and white rhinos as well as other endangered species such as elephants and Grevy’s zebras.