Dispersal and social behaviour of the three adult female white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in the immediate period before, during and after calving

Abstract

The paper presents details of the dispersal and social behaviour of the three adult female white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda in the period one month before, the month during and one month after calving where published information from other reserves is limited. All six births occurred during night-time hours in areas of dense habitat. Births took place within 32 hours of the older calves being chased away by their mothers. Each female moved within the rhinos’ preferred habitat of open woodland with short grass and spent most of her time alone with her new calf and little time associating with other rhinos in the population. Apart from the chasing away of the older calves, there was no indicator of an impending birth.