Brand-New Eastern Black Rhinoceros Calf Born at Cincinnati Zoo–and the Footage Is Adorable

Courtesy of CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN

A Cincinnati zoo has welcomed a brand-new eastern black rhinoceros into the world, born healthy on the evening of Aug. 21. This is a huge win for the species, as they are currently listed as critically endangered.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s communication director, Michelle Curley, announced that the calf was born at 6:30 p.m. last Friday.

“This is a critically endangered species, so the fact that mom Seyia and dad Faru have produced two calves is significant,” Curley said. “The gestation period is 16 months, making population growth a slow process.”

Zookeepers released video footage of the newborn calf and its mom taken shortly after the birth. The baby and mother have since been bonding together in a barn, the zoo stated.

The main distinction between the eastern black rhinoceros and their southern subspecies counterpart is its longer, narrower, and more curved horn.

As of January 2020, there are an estimated 583 mature eastern black rhinos still living in the world, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020, though their numbers have been increasing. The animal inhabits areas of Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The species’s main threat is from poaching for its horn.

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