Jack with rangers: At Ujung Kulon National Park

IN A BID to improve his knowledge of conservation and research of the critically endangered Javan and Sumatran rhinos, a 24- year old zookeeper from Pembroke has travelled to Indonesia on a rhino expedition.

Jack Gradidge is a rhino keeper at Folly Farm and is responsible for two eastern black rhinos, Manyara and Nkosi, living at their latest enclosure in the Kifaru Reserve.

Self-funding his trip, Jack travelled to Singapore and two Indonesian islands, Java and Sumatra, with keepers from the Aspinal Foundation in a bid to learn as much as he could about the Asian rhinos and hopefully catch a glimpse of one in the wild.

Jack, who joined Folly Farm in 2014 after finishing an Animal Management Degree at Sparsholt College, has already visited zoos across the world, including Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Australia, and hopes to continue to travel, learning as much as he can about the animals.

“I have a great relationship with the rhino keepers at the Aspinal Foundation and they were going to the International Elephant and Rhino Conservation and Research Symposium hosted by Singapore Zoo and I decided to join them and planned to visit a few national parks.

“We organised a four-day expedition in Java where we spent most of our time with local rangers, chatting all things rhino and exchanging stories about the ones we care for back home.

“There is said to be only 63 Javan rhinos left in the wild. The rangers have identified all 63 rhinos at the Ujung Kulon National Park using camera traps and each now has a name. This is the only place Javan rhinos exist in the world.

“We patrolled the parks and spent time tracking the wild animals, looking at their footprints, mud wallows and trail of poo. We were on a canoe travelling down a river and we actually heard a rhino crashing through the forest; they were just metres away.”

“We then travelled up to Sumatra where there are just 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild and their population is fragmented, which means they can’t reach each other to breed. We visited a semi-wild reserve in the Way Kambas National Park, where we got to meet four of the seven rhinos, including a small calf, Delilah, who was just six months old.

“This was great, as we’re expecting a breeding female to join the two rhinos at Folly Farm next year and hope to hear the pitter patter of tiny rhino feet in the future.

“The whole experience was just amazing, I’ve learned so much and will be able to feedback to the keepers and visitors at Folly Farm about the pressure the world’s rhinos are facing. I’m so passionate about their conservation – I want to learn as much as possible.”

Folly Farm raises money for the Rhino Dog Squad appeal by Save the Rhino at Kifaru Reserve. All money raised will help train dogs and dog handlers as they play a vital role in protecting rhinos across wildlife conservancies by tracking the scent of rhinos, their horns, guns and ammunition as well as being able to attack poachers in order to disable the gun holding arm.

“I don’t know what it is about rhinos, they’re just so sensitive and surprisingly affectionate. I’ve always loved animals. I grew up on a sheep farm in Wiltshire, and I had a lot of animal toys when I was growing up – I even used to make my own little zoos.

“When I returned from being away for three weeks, the rhinos were a bit grumpy as if to say ‘where have you been?’, but soon warmed up after a few hours. They love attention – especially Nkosi, who rolls over to be scratched and likes a good belly rub. Manyara’s a bit more reserved and likes her own space, but she does love showers, especially when it’s hot.

“They’re also incredibly intelligent animals. Manyara has been doing some target training where she has to touch a ball on a stick to get a treat, and she’s also been doing some mouth training so it’s easier for us to get to their teeth and check their oral health. They have a very strange mouth with hooked lips that helps them browse the trees and shrubs, and huge teeth to crush the branches.”

The rhinos’ daily routine starts with checking they are happy and healthy, before their morning feeds are made up and given to them.

The outside exhibits are then cleaned while the rhinos are eating inside, before they are let out again and provided with any enrichment they need.

Jack continued: “When you get to work with such amazing animals, it doesn’t feel like a job at all. The best part is seeing the animals content and happy, and I particularly like feeding time because of the contact and closeness you get to experience with the animals.”

With fewer than 650 eastern black rhinos left in the wild, the IUCN Red List categorises them as critically endangered and they will be the 16th European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, of which Folly Farm is an active member.