As the temperature continues to drop, two young males in Scotland are oblivious to the cold as their brand new environmentally friendly heat pumps raise the temperature in their indoor swimming pool to a roasty toasty 32 degrees Celsius.

15 01 30 Greateronehornedrhino Pool Kp 11 FbThese are males with a difference though, as Samir and Bertus are greater one-horned rhinos at Edinburgh Zoo. Both six years old and weighing around two tonnes, the boys are delighted with their Ecodan renewable air source heat pump system supplied by Mitsubishi Electric, which will also help the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the conservation charity that owns and manages Edinburgh Zoo, to reduce both running costs and emissions by around 30 per cent.

Jo Elliott, Animals Collection Manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said:

“We were looking at ways of continuing to keep our greater one-horned rhinos nice and warm in their indoor swimming pool in as an environmentally friendly way as possible, as our older and less-efficient gas boiler was coming to the end of its life. The new heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric are definitely keeping the boys warm and they have the added benefits of reducing both fuel bills and overall carbon emissions. We would also like to thank the kindness of Lothian Gas who installed the new heaters and Grundfos whose pump is making them even more efficient.

15 01 30 Greateronehornedrhino Pool Kp 6 Fb“Bertus and Samir are firm friends as they have been together since they were 18 months old, even though male rhinos are usually solitary. They love spending hours in their warm indoor pool, bathing, splashing, wading and cuddling up together. Visitors can also see them playing with various forms of rhino enrichment in their large outdoor paddock, including large balls, tractor tyres and logs.

“Through its Illegal Wildlife Trade programme, RZSS is actively involved in international efforts to tackle the trade in rhinoceros horn. Our scientists work in partnership with governments in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa to help build capacity for wildlife forensic investigations supporting law enforcement.”

Both greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) were born in 2008, with Samir arriving from Stuttgart Zoo in Germany in May 2010 and Bertus coming to Edinburgh Zoo in June 2010 from Rotterdam Zoo. The greater one-horned Rhinoceros has an IUCN Red List status of Vulnerable (for more information on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org). When fully mature, it is likely that they will be paired with potential mates at other homes in Europe as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).

Johnathan Prescott, Renewable Energy Solutions Manager for Scotland at Mitsubishi Electric, said:

“We were delighted to help one of Scotland’s most prominent conservation charities keep their rhinos wonderfully warm in their 4m x 4m indoor swimming pool, especially during the colder months. Four 8.5kW Ecodan heat pumps now provide renewable heating to the indoor rhino pool, with the units working in a cascade application to offer reliable heating all year round, regardless of the outdoor temperature. The system will even qualify for the non-domestic renewable heat incentive which could see Edinburgh Zoo receiving around £4,000 per year for the next 20 years.”

In the wild, greater one-horned rhinos can be found in Assam, India and over the border into Nepal. They inhabit tall grass forests, but increasingly they have to use more cultivated land as man has encroached on their habitat. Their population has been decimated through poaching with only pockets of them remaining in the wild in India and Nepal.

The species was on the brink of extinction during the early 1900s, with only approximately 200 individuals remaining. Through conservation efforts the population has since risen to approximately 2,575, which is still dangerously low. Habitat destruction, sport hunting and poaching have been the three biggest causes for their dwindling population, with rhino horns continuing to fetch an expensive price through the black market.

The entire project is part of Edinburgh Zoo’s renewable and carbon reduction strategy, with the results being monitored to help the organisation decide on the best way to use renewable heating across the complex.

To support Bertus and Samir at Edinburgh Zoo and the invaluable charitable work of RZSS, you can sponsor the one-horned Indian rhinos by visiting /support-us/adopt-an-animal