KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Zoo announced Thursday a new baby arrived. Zuri, a critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros, gave birth to an adorable calf in the early morning hours on December 31.
The rhinos’ animal care specialists report the calf is walking, nursing, and even playing spar, and that Zuri is a patient and attentive first-time mother.
The barn is being kept quiet with limited human interaction to allow them plenty of time to bond, which is a very important process. Once mother and calf have had that bonding time, a neonatal exam will be performed in the coming weeks to confirm gender and overall health.
The zoo will report the gender then, and there will be an opportunity for the public to participate in naming the calf.
There are only about 740 of this type of rhino left in the wild so this birth is also important for the subspecies as a whole. We are thrilled to introduce this new arrival to Kansas City!Photo by Julia, Senior Animal Care Specialist