![[Translate to English:] Spitzmaulnashorn Akili als Baby](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/1/csm_Spitzmaulnashorn_Akili_Zoo_Berlin_Karl_Broeseke__2__92d04f7785.jpg "[Translate to English:] Spitzmaulnashorn Akili als Baby")
Specialists from "Interzoo" were tasked with the transport – they are a reliable partner in this field with over 30 years of experience. Akili first traveled in a special box, which she had got accustomed to after a two week period, on the road to Amsterdam. She then took a flight from Schipol international airport direct to Tokyo with Nippon Air Cargo. The black rhinoceros landed safely on Thursday morning. Rhino keeper Jürgen Jahr was always by Akili's side during the journey and also accompanied her until she was acclimatized in Japan.
Conservation breeding programme for black rhinoceroses
The little female rhino has found a new home in Japan on the recommendation of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). She will contribute to the conservation of the species on a local level there since she is unrelated to any of the other black rhinos. In addition to some new terrain that has recently been opened, a male Japanese black rhino will also await Akili there to act as a companion by her side.
African Savannah
Black rhinos are originally endemic to Africa and live in savannas, deserts and bush vegetation there – they prefer tropical and subtropical grassy areas. The stately herbivores reach a shoulder height of up to 1.8 m and weigh around 1.4 t when fully grown. Akili can also be proud of her mass – she is already registering a weight of 800 kg on the scales.
Just like her counterparts, Akili also has exceptionally strong hearing. Her sense of smell is equally reliable: She has far more smell cells in her nasal passages than her brain. This isn't without reason – the eyes of the black rhino are small and situated on the side of the head and thus do not allow a view of more than a few meters. In addition to good listening and excellent smelling senses, Akili also has an impressive rapidness: with a speed of up to 50 km/h, black rhinos are excellent hunters in the wild.
Endangered rhino
The eastern and southern black rhinos are considered "critically endangered" and are on the IUCN Red List of endangered species – the southwestern black rhino is deemed to be 'at risk'. The number of rhinos has fallen from 100,000 to a mere 2,000 animals since the early 1960s all because of poaching.
"We are very proud that our Berlin-native black rhino girl Akili was chosen by the EEP to contribute to the conservation of her species in Japan. Zoo Berlin has for many years now been breeding endangered species, Akili is the 17th young animal to arise out of our very successful black rhino breeding programme, for example. In the long run, we hope to safeguard the species number and go one further by helping to resettle the endangered species back into its original habitat in the wild." explains Dr. Andreas Knieriem, director of Zoo and Tierpark Berlin.
