SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Potawatomi Zoo announced Masamba, the southern white rhinoceros, will be leaving the zoo and moving to The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center in Cumberland, Ohio.

Zoo officials say this decision resulted from a breeding recommendation by the Southern White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan.

Masamba will be introduced to a group of five to six female rhinos at The Wilds, with the goal of breeding and contributing to the southern white rhino population within zoos.

Zoo officials say there is no set date for Masamba’s move, but it's expected he will leave sometime this fall.

“It is never easy to say goodbye to one of our animals, especially an animal as iconic as our rhino,” says Josh Sisk, executive director of the Potawatomi Zoo. “I always say my favorite animal at the Zoo is my buddy, Masamba, but we must always remember what our mission as a zoo really is about and put our personal feelings aside. Participating in important breeding programs that will ensure southern white rhino populations are sustainable for future generations has to be our priority. We all look forward to knowing that Masamba’s genetic line will continue to grow as he produces offspring of his own.”

Masamba moved to the zoo in 2019, when he was three years old, and over the years, zoo staff say he's given them a way to introduce visitors to the importance of megafauna and the value of rhinoceros conservation.

In 2021, the zoo began rhino encounters, allowing visitors to meet Masamba up close and touch him.

Zoo officials say the encounters were a positive experience for both visitors and Masamba, adding that he enjoys the interactions, and visitors are awed by his size and gentle nature.

The zoo will be receiving a new southern white rhinoceros in the spring 2026, based on a recommendation from the Southern White Rhinoceros SSP.