Rare Black Rhino Stuns Zoo Guests by Giving Birth Right Before Their Eyes
All eyes were fixated on a critically endangered Eastern black rhino when she unexpectedly gave birth at England’s Chester Zoo on Aug. 2.
The mother, 12-year-old Malindi, went into labor in broad daylight and chose to deliver her baby right there in public view.
Typically, mother rhino’s give birth at night, under the privacy of darkness, according to the zoo.
Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at Chester Zoo, released a statement about the exciting birth.
“Visitors to the zoo were treated to something incredibly special when Eastern black rhino, Malindi, went in to labor in front of them,” Rowlands said.
“With just 650 Eastern black rhino left in the wild, seeing the birth of a new calf and its very first steps is a very rare and special event indeed.”
In less than 15 minutes, zoo staff said the little guy was up on his feet. He has been nursing like a champ and is bonding well with his mother, zoo staff reported.
The birth of any endangered species gives reason to celebrate, and Malindi’s baby is no exception.
The calf has brought hope to the threatened rhino population, a species that zoos like Chester are working to preserve.
“This new arrival is a real boost to a critically endangered species,” said Mike Jordan, collections director at Chester Zoo.
“It increases the number of Eastern black rhino at Chester to 11 and is another vitally important success story in a Europe-wide breeding program for these highly threatened animals,” Jordan continued.
“A thriving, healthy population of this high-profile species in good zoos is vitally important to the future of this species and a key component of our mission to prevent their extinction.”
The black rhino population has been under attack for their coveted horns, making the rhinos a target for poaching and illegal wildlife trade.
Rhino calves are born without horns, and the first horn will be visible within a month or so after birth.
So far, the Chester Zoo has not released any information about the calf’s name. For now, we’ll just refer to him as Chester Zoo described — “the most handsome baby rhino on the planet!”
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