January 2010

“Bull” remembered

Bull, our male White Rhino who has been with us since 1972, died on Tuesday 5th January 2010, aged 41.

Bull was originally named “Somtuli” after an area of Umfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa, where he was born sometime in 1969.

In 1972, England’s striking dock-workers lifted their strike to allow in the cargo ship bringing Bull and the rest of a consignment of 32 White Rhinos from the Natal Parks Board of South Africa. Thus it was that Bull arrived at the Park in 1972 with a young female “Lebombo” and in time they were joined by another young female who came to us from Whipsnade. The Park’s keepers gave this trio the names of Bull, Bella and Paddy, and these are the names that stuck.

Any visitors to the Park from the mid 1970s throughout the 1980s and 1990s would have admired this magnificent trio, whose four acre enclosure, shared with a group of zebras, dominated the centre of the Park and the views from the Victorian Manor House of Bradwell Grove at the heart of the Park. Although sadly they never bred, Bull, Bella and Paddy were a wonderful sight, and a joy to look after. All were calm, trusting and docile with their keepers and all lived to a great age in “rhino years”.

Bella was the first to go, in 2003, then Paddy in 2007 and now we have lost Bull. All succumbed to various ailments associated with old age, and the sad decision was taken with our vets to euthanize Bull after a prolonged period of veterinary attention and observation, to ensure that he did not suffer unduly. These calls are very hard to make, and there’s no guarantee that we can get it right, but we are sure that Bull’s end was very peaceful and comfortable, after a long and contented life.

Bull had been here for thirty eight years, since I was eleven years old, and I will never know or love an animal like I have known and loved Bull. He was just such a glorious fixture here, and always such a gentle giant and yet such a softie too. To wander into his enclosure on a summer’s evening, when the Park was all quiet, and give him a good tickly scratch in the soft warm skin behind his ears, or under his muddy chin, was always such a special moment. Although like all rhinos, Bull would have been able to turn on a sixpence, charge and stomp on you, I never felt that he was anything other than a gentle friend, whom we will all miss very much.

Reggie Heyworth

January, 2010