Greater One-horned Rhinoceros "Dekopon" has turned 2 years old.
October 23, 2026
Dekopon (female), born at Tama Zoo in 2024, turned two years old on September 3rd last month. On her second birthday, Dekopon and her mother, Gopon, were given watermelons as presents.
When we gave Gopon half a watermelon each, he finished it in no time, but Dekopon, perhaps not used to it yet, ate it with great enthusiasm, spilling a little along the way. Watching the parent and child together, we could see that Dekopon still has a childlike side to him. This time, we'll share an update on what Dekopon has been up to lately.
Until she was about a year and a half old, Dekopon would stay close to her mother, following Gopon wherever she went, whether indoors, in the enclosure, or by the pool. However, since around April of this year, she has started to separate from Gopon and forage for food at her own pace more often. Even when Gopon is in the enclosure or pool, Dekopon doesn't seem to mind and comes to the indoor exhibit to forage.
Previously, when we foraged together, Gopon would eat all the food, leaving Dekopon wanting more. However, by foraging separately, we've increased the amount Dekopon eats.
As they grow, their food intake is also increased, and they are growing rapidly as the parent and child are given about 70 kg of hay and grass every day. You can see how much bigger they've become when you see them standing next to Gopon. When they were young, they were small enough to pass under Gopon's belly, but now they've grown so much that their height is about the same as Gopon's face. Last August, when we first weighed them, they were about 560 kg, but this month they've reached about 960 kg.
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros reach sexual maturity at around 4-6 years of age, so 2-year-old Dekopon is just before becoming a juvenile (around 3-4 years old). Juveniles are said to weigh about 1,000-1,500 kg, so his weight also indicates healthy growth.
And there's another sign that it's taking a step towards becoming a young animal: it's nursing less frequently. It still nurses, but not as often as before. I've been recording Gopon and his cub's nighttime activities with video footage, and while it used to nurse about five times a night until early August this year, the frequency decreased from around mid-August. Lately, it hasn't even happened sometimes.
I had expected that as the frequency of breastfeeding decreased, Dekopon would sleep away from Gopon more often, but on the contrary, she now goes to Gopon's side and sleeps snuggled up next to him more often. I feel that while she is gradually becoming more independent, she is still in a stage where she needs her mother.
Over the past two years, Dekopon has not only grown physically, but has also shown various changes, such as his relationship with Gopon. It's natural for the time spent with parents and the distance between them to change little by little as they grow, but Dekopon is also gradually becoming a full-grown Greater One-horned Rhinoceros by accumulating small changes every day. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of adult Greater One-horned Rhinoceros he will grow into as he continues to develop.
Dekopon has turned two years old. Please continue to warmly watch over her as she grows up healthy and strong.
[Tama Zoo]