More than 260 hardworking Tierpark fans have been submitting various name suggestions via Facebook over the past week – Thanos was promptly among the favourites and was also met with enthusiasm by department keeper Mario Hammerschmidt: "Thanos sounds commanding – something which is of course fitting for a male rhino. We really liked the meaning of it and so the decision was made very quickly."
Indian rhinoceros Betty became a mother for the sixth time on 12 September 2015. Her and Thanos enjoy basking in the mild late-summer sun at Tierpark Berlin, strolling around in the outdoor enclosures or cuddling together in their box in the Pachyderm House. Father Belur (25 years) meanwhile enjoys his loner status. Indian rhinoceroses only come together to mate and after that, go their separate ways.
Only around 2,800 Indian rhinoceroses currently live in the wild. Fortunately, the precautions seem to be working – an increasing trend has been recently observed. Tierpark Berlin is committed to the protection and conservation of rhinos in collaboration with the international zoo community: Betty and Belur are part of the international breeding programme. Indian rhinoceroses are nonetheless threatened with extinction in their home, the north east of India and Nepal. They take their name from the characteristic folding of their skin.
