In 2008, Jans Corporation helped the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls move an endangered Eastern Black Rhino named Kapuki.  Kapuki went on to live in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and recently just had her first calf!

Some fun facts about Kapuki (shared with us from the Great Plans Zoo):

     o Born in Sioux Falls to Jubba and Imara (The Zoo’s current pair of very important rhinos) in 2005.

     o Weighed in at 103 pounds – large for a baby rhino, usually 90 or so pounds at birth.

     o Loved attention from her keepers, and would flop on her back like a big dog, to get a good belly scratch.

     o When it came to move her to Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, it was quite a production.  Rhinos, then (in 2008), were housed in the small barn south of what is now the snow monkey exhibit.  A large shipping crate was placed in the outdoor exhibit yard (where the monkey holding building is now), and blocked off all windows.  For weeks, Kapuki went through training to desensitize her to walking through the chute and into a crate.  On that day, when the crate door shut behind her, it was “no big deal” –thanks to the consistent work of the Zookeepers.

     o Then came the tricky part:  since there were no large gates from exhibit to the outside of the Zoo, our large construction crane had to hoist the crate up and over the old adobe Zoo wall – and into the parking lot, all while keeping Kapuki steady.  This was a rhino-sized feat.  Kapuki’s crate then was placed in the climate-controlled semi-truck of a professional animal hauler, and her journey to motherhood was begun!

Click here to read the story about Kapuki’s new baby! Congratulations Kapuki!!