New arrivals among the rheas at Chemnitz Zoo
The young South American ratites are developing well and can now be seen in the enclosure alongside their father.
In the case of rheas – as with most ratites – the male takes on all the brooding duties. The male incubates the eggs alone and, once they have hatched, is also responsible for guiding and protecting the chicks. The females do not participate in rearing the young.
As the male at Chemnitz Zoo – who can sometimes become very aggressive whilst rearing the chicks – behaves calmly towards both the two females and visitors to the walk-through South America enclosure, no partition is required. This means the chicks can be observed particularly well.
Due to their resemblance to ostriches, rheas were formerly also known as ‘Pampas ostriches’. However, with a height of up to 1.60 metres, they are significantly smaller than their African relatives. Outside the breeding season, rheas are very sociable and can form groups of more than 50 birds.
During the breeding season, their behaviour changes markedly: the males establish territories and court groups of females. If the courtship is successful, several females lay their eggs one after the other in the prepared nest. They then move on, whilst the male looks after the clutch on his own. Up to 20 eggs – sometimes laid by as many as twelve different females – are incubated for around one and a half months. After hatching, the male also takes full responsibility for rearing the chicks.
With these two chicks, visitors to Chemnitz Zoo are treated to fascinating insights into the extraordinary family life of these ratites.
Opening hours:
Chemnitz Zoo
daily 9 am to 7 pm
Oberrabenstein Wildlife Enclosure
Daily from 9 am to 6 pm