Rhinos in safari park exchange as part of breeding programme

Blair Drummond: Rhino Lucy has arrived at the safari park.

A two-tonne white rhino has been winched by crane into her new home at a safari park.

Eight-year-old Lucy has been transferred to Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, from West Midland Safari Park, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, as part of a European breeding programme.

In exchange, Blair Drummond will be sending its two-year-old female, Ailsa, to West Midland, in order to avoid any in-breeding among both parks' rhino populations.

Lucy travelled more than 300 miles (483km) to her new home last night, where she was lowered into the rhino enclosure by a team of experts using a crane.

Lucy will be given time to adjust to her new surroundings before being introduced to the park's other rhinos, Dot, Graham and their five-month-old calf, Angus.

It is hoped that Lucy and Graham, Blair Drummond's only mature bull rhino, will eventually mate.

Chris Lucas, head of large mammals, said: "We need to exchange rhinos. Exchanges are becoming more common now. Lots of zoos and safari parks across Europe are working together with the idea of exchanging their rhinos in order to maximise the breeding potential of the captive European population."

White rhinos are classed as "near threatened" in the wild, with a population of only 17,500, Mr Lucas said.

Lucy and Ailsa are being exchanged under recommendation by the European Endangered Species Programme.

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