Rare horned creature welcomes new baby at Florida zoo. See the endangered calf
In an important step for the endangered species, a pair of white rhinos have welcomed a new calf, a Florida zoo announced.
Kidogo, a 19-year-old female white rhino, gave birth to the male calf in the evening hours of Oct. 3, according to a statement from ZooTampa at Lowry Park.
“Kidogo did great with the birth of her sixth baby, and she is being very attentive,” senior vice president of zoological operations Chris Massasro said in the statement. “The birth is also special for first-time dad, Mufasa. The calf is a critical step in our continued effort to save the imperiled species from extinction.”
The zoo said the baby rhino was “strong” and “nursing alongside his experienced mother” in his first two days.
Kidogo and Mufasa were paired together in a breeding program intended to help grow the populations of endangered species, in their case the southern white rhino, the zoo said.
At the start of the 20th century, there were fewer than 200 of the horned species worldwide, according to a Facebook post from the zoo, but after years of protection and conservation, their numbers have grown to around 16,800 in 11 African countries.
They were originally hunted by communities that believed their horns, made of the same material as fingernails or hair, had medicinal properties, the zoo said.
The zoo is now home to seven rhinos, including Kidogo and Mufasa, as well as females Alake and Fugo, and juveniles Ruby and Kayin.
White rhinos are pregnant for 16 to 18 months and can give birth every two to five years, the zoo said.
When fully grown, white rhinos have two horns, are about 13 feet long and 6 feet high at the shoulder, and can weigh up to 5,000 pounds, according to the zoo.
ZooTampa recently welcomed six Komodo dragon hatchlings in September, McClatchy News previously reported.
The baby lizards were part of a similar species survival plan.
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Rare horned creature welcomes new baby at Florida zoo. See the endangered calf."
