A rare female eastern black rhinoceros calf was born in March at Lincoln Park Zoo. Photo by Cassy Kutilek / Lincoln Park Zoo.
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago welcomed a baby eastern black rhinoceros in March! This is especially happy news because eastern black rhinos are critically endangered, and every birth helps bolster their population.
The female calf weighed around 27 kg (60 lb.) at birth and took her first steps just an hour and a half after being born! She and her mother, Kapuki, are being monitored by zoo staff.
Mom and calf are doing very well and are being monitored by zoo staff. Photo by Cassy Kutilek / Lincoln Park Zoo.
According to Curator Cassy Kutilek, “Mom and calf are doing well and continue to hit their postpartum milestones, and we’re excited for when we’ll start seeing glimmers of the newborn’s personality.”
In the wild, the eastern black rhino population dropped 98% between 1960-1995 due to poaching. Due to conservation efforts, there are now around 1,000 mature individuals in the wild.
One Month Update
The calf, named Hazina, made her public debut on April 29!
At one month old, Hazina made her public debut in April! Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Although hesitant at first, Hazina has been exploring the outdoors with her mother, Kapuki. Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
If you would like to support Lincoln Park Zoo and celebrate the rare rhino birth, you can adopt a plush rhino at the Lincoln Park Zoo website.
There was an abundance of adorable baby animals born or rescued in 2024. Here are a few highlights of the cutest babies:
Best Baby Mustache
As you can imagine, this was a competitive category, but the best baby mustache goes to Uki, a baby Pacific walrus rescued in Alaska by the Alaska SeaLife Center and SeaWorld Orlando.
Photo by Alaska SeaLife Center / Courtesy SeaWorld Orlando.
Leggiest Duo
The award for leggiest duo goes to this pair of giraffe calves born at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo to mothers Asmara and Zane on September 14 and 20 this year.
Photo by Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Fluffiest Fuzzball
The fluffiest fuzzball title goes to the Chilean flamingo chicks hatched at the Lincoln Park Zoo in August.
Photo by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Rough-n-Tumbliest Baby
The rough-n-tumbliest award goes to this boisterous baby black rhino, shown here romping with his mother, Mesi. The calf was born at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in August.
Photo credit: Hayley Brooks, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Pokiest Baby
This baby North American porcupine takes the title as the pokiest baby. The porcupette was the first ever porcupine to be delivered via C-section at the San Diego Zoo.
Photo credit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Teeniest Slither
The title of teeniest slither goes to this tiny baby gartersnake born at the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC)/Phoenix Zoo and released along with 24 others to the wild this September in an ongoing effort to bolster the population.
Photo credit: Phoenix Zoo.
Best Hugger
The award for best hugger goes to Scout, the baby two-toed sloth at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, pictured here cuddling with a favorite stuffie.
First-time mama, Mesi, and her newborn black rhino calf. Photo credit: Grace Humphery, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Mesi, a southern black rhinoceros at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia, gave birth to a male calf in August.
The baby rhino is feeding well and staying close to his mama. The pair will remain behind-the-scenes at the zoo for the next few months to continue bonding with each other and with zoo staff.
According to Black Rhino Keeper Grace Humphery, “To see them together is just beautiful. He is a very brave and curious calf. Having another Black Rhino on the ground is so special. He will be an important part of our conservation program and an amazing little ambassador for his species.”
Critically endangered southern black rhino calf at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Photo credit: Grace Humphery, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Southern black rhinoceros, Mesi, and her calf have been inseparable as they bond behind-the-scenes at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Photo credit: Hayley Brooks, Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Black rhinos are considered critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, with only about 3100 individuals left in the wild. Taronga Western Plains Zoo supports conservation efforts via the International Rhino Foundation as well as its breeding program.
It’s a girl! This baby black rhino was born on April 11. Photo by Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia, welcomed a southern black rhinoceros calf on April 11. The female calf, the first baby for mother Kufara, weighed around 25-30kg (55-66 lbs.) at birth.
“Both mother and calf are doing well. Kufara is very cautious and protective of her calf which is a natural behavior for a first-time mother. We are really happy with the maternal behaviors Kufara is displaying. She is very attentive and ensuring her calf suckles frequently which is all very positive,” said keeper Linda Matthews.
For now, the baby calf and mother will bond behind the scenes at the zoo. They will go on public display in late June.
Photo by Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Photo by Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
Photo by Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
In the wild, the are only about 4,200 black rhinos roaming the deserts and grasslands of Africa. They are classified as critically endangered. Poaching remains a significant threat due to rising demand for their horn, which is used in Asian medicine.
Black rhino calf at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo on May 6 2015. Photograph by Rick Stevens.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo welcomed a male black rhino calf on April 20. He is the second baby born to mother Bakhita and the third calf born in 10 years to the zoo’s breeding program for this critically endangered species.
“With just over 4000 black rhinos remaining and all five rhino species under enormous pressure in the wild, every birth is critical,” said General Manager Matthew Fuller. “This little rhino is precious, as are all rhinos, and we’re hopeful that his birth will further highlight the need to protect these remarkable creatures.”
The calf weighs about 30-40 kg and is full of energy, often bounding around his yard first thing in the morning.
Baby rhino with his mother Bakhita. Photograph by Rick Stevens.
In the wild, black rhinoceroses live in Africa. Poaching is a major threat to the species due to demand for their horns which is used in Asian medicine.
The healthy male black rhino calf at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Photos by Todd Rosenberg / Lincoln Park Zoo.
The Lincoln Park Zoo happily welcomed the birth of a critically-endangered black rhinoceros calf on August 26. The male calf weighed in at 60 pounds.
“Mother and baby are both doing wonderfully,” said Curator of Mammals Mark Kamhout. “The calf divides his time between nursing, following mom around, and napping, and that is exactly what a baby rhino should be doing.”
With only 5,000 black rhinos alive in the wild, the species is considered at high risk of extinction. They are threatened primarily by poachers, who kill the rhinos for their horns. In some cultures, black rhino horns are considered very valuable for medicinal purposes.
The Lincoln Park Zoo worked hard to conserve this species through the Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan, an initiative of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Mother Kapuki and her calf will be bonding behind the scenes for the next couple of weeks.
“This birth is cause for great celebration here at Lincoln Park Zoo and has been much anticipated” said Kamhout. “The gestational period for rhinos is 15-16 months, and they have incredibly small windows for conception. Together with the zoo’s endocrinologists, we worked to pinpoint the exact window for Kapuki and Maku to get together for breeding. The whole zoo family is delighted at this successful outcome.”
