Heavyweight draw at Night Safari

Debuts do not come any bigger than the one tonight when two young Indian rhinos strut their stuff at Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) Night Safari. Thulie (far left), aged seven and weighing in at 1.9 tonnes, and four-year-old Newari, a relatively slimline 1.7 tonnes, arrived recently from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Their visit here follows the recommendation of an internationally managed breeding programme to improve the genetic diversity of Indian rhinos under human care. Shifting close to four tonnes of rhino weight from one side of the world to another takes some organising, as Mr Yusoff Man, WRS assistant curator of herbivores, knows all too well.

He went to Al Bustan Zoological Centre in the UAE last October to facilitate the transfer, which meant working through travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. While one rhino may look much the same as another to most people, Thulie is bolder and more food-motivated while Newari tends to be cautious and shyer.

The half-brothers, sired by different bulls, will share their new home at the Night Safari with its resident females, Gomati and Mary.