The first herd of 12 Asian elephants arrived safely in their new forest habitat at White Oak Conservation, a refuge for rare species funded by philanthropists Mark and Kimbra Walter, according to a news release.

YULEE, Fla. – White Oak Conservation, a refuge for rare species in Northeastern Florida, announced the birth of a male black rhino on Wednesday. Photo: White Oak Conservation“Mom has been great and protective, keeping him very close,” Brandon Speeg, director of conservation at White Oak, said. As a result, black rhinos are now “critically endangered” throughout Africa. White Oak provides a protected home in the northeast corner of Florida for three of the world’s five remaining rhino species. Black rhinos from Zimbabwe were brought to White Oak in 1993 to start a breeding program in case the wild population was lost.

From the ring to the refuge: Elephants moving to Northeast FloridaPublished: September 25, 2020, 6:03 pmThe first wave of elephants is expected to arrive at White Oak Conservation in 2021.

The goal is to give the elephants all the space and resources they need to enjoy their retirement. “As you can imagine, it’s a challenge to feed and house 34 Asian elephants,” Gadd said. “Our family is committed to improving the lives of individual elephants and ensuring the survival of elephants in the wild,” Mark Walter said. As part of the project, the wildlife refuge has brought in a team of experts to look after the elephants. An estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants, which are classified as an endangered species, remain in the wild, Gadd said.

Grevy’s Zebras were some of the first species at White Oak Conservation back in the 1980′s, and since then, 96 foals have been born there. This past summer, White Oak welcomed five zebra foals into the world, four males and one female. Now here’s the question - are zebras black with white stripes OR white with black stripes? So, it’s white and black hair with their stripes but their hide underneath is black, so technically they’re black with white stripes,” said Speeg. If you want to head over the White Oak Conservation, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.