After six long months of no rhinos at the zoo we welcomed the arrival of Jeezan, a three-year-old, 2,100-pound greater one-horned rhino named on December 11, 2015. Having a rhino to work with again is a great joy! Jeezan’s release from the transport crate into the barn went very smoothly and he came over and took treats from keepers within minutes. He spent a few days in the barn getting acclimated before venturing out onto his yard. At times, he would return to the barn when the buses came by, but he quickly became accustomed to the sights and sounds of Zoo activity. In fact, he usually picks a spot next to the Kangaroo Bus stop for lounging and napping! He's quickly become a popular face in the Urban Jungle neighborhood, delighting Zoo guests and meeting Backstage Pass participants.

Table manners are for humans. ? #rhinotraining #foodforthought #lol #sandiego

A video posted by San Diego Zoo (@sandiegozoo) on Feb 8, 2016 at 5:57pm PST

Jeezan has an outgoing personality and loves training and interacting with his keepers. I look forward to watching him grow over the years to come. We are still getting to know each other, so stay tuned for more blogs about his training and personality. I will say that he has one thing in common with his predecessor Surat—he loves his ball! Victoria Girdler is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.