From Lissa to Alissa: Lion Country Safari's 40th rhino calf honors one the park mourns

LOXAHATCHEE — Two weeks ago, the staff at Lion Country Safari mourned the death of Lissa, one of the first white rhinoceroses born in the park. Two days later, it greeted a new member to the herd, with a name that honors the rhino they lost.

The staff last week welcomed Alissa, a female southern white rhinoceros and the 40th calf born at Lion Country Safari. It's a major milestone for the Loxahatchee animal park, which aims to protect the critically endangered species.

Haley McCann, a park spokesperson, said the staff named the calf after Lissa, who beat a rare horn cancer and garnered the affection of animal lovers around the country before dying last month at the age of 43 on Aug. 17.

"It was right after a major loss for us," McCann said. "There was absolutely no question that we are going to find a way to name this baby in honor of Lissa, who truly was so extraordinary and meant so much to us. We really wanted to see how we could carry on that legacy into this new offspring."

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Anna, a 10-year-old rhino, gave birth to Alissa on Aug. 19, after a 16-month gestation period. Baby rhinos weigh between 80 to 130 pounds and are expected to gain about 1,000 pounds a year for the first three years.

McCann said Anna and Alissa are spending quality time bonding together in a maternity area, which is visible to guests from their cars in the drive-through safari.

Lion Country Safari opened in 1967 and saw its first white rhino birth in 1979. It is now home to 14 white rhinos, 12 females and two males.

The two-horned rhinos are native to Africa, where they usually perish due to poaching. The critically endangered species is slowly making a comeback under human care after conservationists thought it had gone extinct in the late 1990s.

McCann said the rhinos are still illegally hunted in the wild for their horns, which some cultures value for medicinal properties they presume the horns have and as a status symbol.

"As much as we contribute to trying to help save animals in the wild, they are still facing threats," McCann said. "This is our lifeboat population."

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Lion Country Safari is part of the White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan, a national program by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Institute of Rhinoceros Science research program. The program aims to improve care for the species to ensure there are healthy, genetically viable populations under human care for at least 100 years.

McCann said the milestone demonstrates the park's long history of breeding success and its impact on conservation success for the species.

"Every single birth is significant," McCann said. "We've had so many rhino babies that are continuing the genetic line and family line and helping to ensure the survival of the species."

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alissa the white rhino becomes 40th calf born at Lion Country Safari