White Rhinos Get Some Valentine’s Love

TAMPA, FL – White rhinos need a little love, too. At least that seemed to be the case at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo on Tuesday. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, zoo staff members set up a “kissing booth” for the critters.

“The southern white rhinos were smitten” with the booth, zoo spokeswoman Andrea Alava said.

Although “kisses” cost only 5 cents each, it’s unclear if anyone took the creatures up on the offer.

All kidding aside, interactions like the kissing booth are part of the care provided to animals at Lowry Park, Alava said.

See also: Busch Gardens Animals Get Into The Football Spirit

“Enrichments like this encourage animals to perform natural behaviors and exercise – they also satisfy both the physical and psychological needs of animals,” she said. The zoo is well known for creating special holiday-themed enrichments for its inhabitants. The “Easter Bunny,” for example, is known to leave special treats for orangutans and other residents.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also offers its animals similar enrichments. Before the 2017 College Football National Championship, elephants were seen at the park toting around their own “footballs” while giraffes got to play on their own football field.

To find out more about Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, visit its website.

Photo courtesy of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo