KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Zoo announced Thursday they are excited to welcome the addition of a critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros calf to the zoo.
The baby has arrived! Zuri, a critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros, gave birth to an adorable calf in the early morning hours on December 31.
— Kansas City Zoo (@KansasCityZoo) January 5, 2023
⁰There are only about 740 of this type of rhino left in the wild so this birth is important for the subspecies as a whole! pic.twitter.com/aPIUAnn6Uo
The calf was born in the early hours of New Year's Eve. The zoo says both the calf and its mother, Zuri, are doing well.
The zoo says the calf is walking, being nursed, and even playing with Zuri.
Both rhinos are in the rhino barn at the moment. The rhino barn is being kept quiet with minimal human interaction to give Zuri and the calf time to bond, which the zoo says is a very important process.
The zoo says there will be a few weeks of bonding time before they perform a neonatal exam to confirm the gender and overall health of the calf.
The pregnancy process for a black rhinoceros is typically 15-16 months. During the process, Zuri's animal care specialists trained with her in preparation for the pregnancy and Zuri also received weekly ultrasounds and blood hormone monitoring.
The zoo also says they will be giving updates on their social media platforms on the calf, and eventually, the public will be allowed to participate in naming the calf.
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