by Steven Urquhart Bell

A white rhino named Queenie “is the latest in a series of animals at the park to be named after
members of the royal family.”
—The Independent

The precious arrivals are given the names
Of persons of royal distinction.
They’re part of a program of breeding which aims
To counter the threat of extinction.

But too small a gene pool can make itself felt,
If suitable partners are few.
There’s always the risk of compounding a fault—
It happens in animals, too.