El Paso Zoo welcomes first ever rhino
El Paso, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Zoo is ready to present a real jewel in the animal kingdom: a rhino named Taj.
"A new exhibit doesn't come along very often," says El Pasoan Marco Duran.
He's excited to welcome the seven year old, Greater One-Horned rhino.
"So it's nice to have something new for my kid to see."
 The species is native to India and Nepal and "Taj" Hindi for for jewel or crown.
Zoo keeper, Becca Bradley, is excited about his arrival.
"So we can tell people about this animal that people don't know a whole lot about," says Bradley.
Taj is the first rhino to call El Paso home.
A crew of seven works around the clock, learning and caring for Taj.
"So its been an adventure trying to just navigate how to see that his needs are different and how to adapt our schedules for all of that," Bradley says.
One-horned rhinos are endangered and he move was recommended as part of a breeding program.
"One of the things that rhinos face in the wild is poaching due to their horns," says Bradley. "So their horns are made of the same thing that your fingernails and hair is made of, its just keratin. Its all that it is."
Taj is a growing boy and eats a diet of greens, hay and grains. Along with a healthy diet, Bradley and her crew make sure Taj is never bored.
"There's this fire hose braid that's hanging down," says Bradley. "Foraging toys where he has to roll them around and get food to fall out of them."
"So I'm really proud to have the species here at the El Paso Zoo."
