Written by Hannah Tulloch, Digital Media Coordinator, North Carolina Zoo
Our all-female rhino crash (groups of rhinos) has quite the family tree! The crash currently has eight female southern white rhinos, seven of which are related. Linda is the mother to four rhinos: Kit, Abby, Nandi, and Jojo. Linda's daughter Kit is the mother to two rhinos: Bonnie and Mguu. This makes Bonnie and Mguu Linda's granddaughters. Natalie is the rhino that is unrelated to anyone else in the crash. However, she still has her unique relationships with the other rhinos.
As with most species, rhinos included, mothers have a significant impact on shaping their kid's personalities. Let's look at the personalities and relationships of our all-female (and mostly related) rhino crash!
Linda is the oldest rhino in the crash, and she makes sure everyone knows it since she is in charge! She has a 'been there, done that' attitude and can be anti-social at times. She has four daughters and two granddaughters; she appreciates some alone time.
Kit is known as the fun mom – she's not a regular mom; she's a cool mom. All the kids (Nandi, Bonnie, Mguu, Jojo) like to hang out around her and play. The younger crash members find Kit more reassuring than the other adults. Kit's kids seem more social, while Linda's are more independent.
Natalie is described as the "old maid" since she is stuck being an auntie to Nandi (by Nandi's choosing, not hers). Natalie and Nandi, lovingly referred to as "The Two N's," can typically be seen together on habitat.
Abby is a gentle giant! She is, by far, the largest rhino in the crash, weighing more than 5,600 lbs. She was the youngest rhino for a long time and still enjoys the company of the younger rhinos. Abby didn't leave her mom until she was about 13 years old, much later than usual! Abby copied her mom's horn shape until she entered her 'finding herself' stage and had a completely new horn-do! It wasn't a stage; it was who she was!
Nandi can sometimes be a brat and is known to be an instigator! She and Bonnie were born eleven days apart, so their relationship resembles that of typical sisters. They don't find much comfort in each other and always argue. Nandi likes to show her dominance over Bonnie since she technically is the older of the two.
Bonnie can have nervous tendencies at times. She left her mom, Kit, early at 17 months old (Kit gave birth to calf Mguu which took her attention away) and seems to have inherited some of her mom's nervous genes. Fortunately, Bonnie has a great relationship with Abby, who keeps her calm. The two are quite the opposite pair, but their relationship is best described as mentorship. Abby is the mentor to the younger Bonnie, but sometimes they can push each other around!
Mguu is a troublemaker! A few of her favorite things include trying to rub her horn on the zookeeper's truck when it's out on habitat, messing with the Zoofari bus, and giving her mom, Kit, a hard time. Mguu and her sister Bonnie have a great friendship and often play together!
Jojo is the baby of the crash! Although she and Mguu were both born in 2020, they are opposites! Jojo loves to hang with her mom, Linda. Together, the pair stays separate from the rest of the crash, but Jojo has her moments when she plays with the other rhinos. Jojo loves to wallow and enjoys training with her keepers. A fun fact: Jojo is named after a rhino keeper at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya!
