The Indianapolis Zoo has a lot to be excited about! The park recently welcomed a new baby into its family, a rare white rhino.
On February 11, 2024, the zoo shared the news that a baby was born at their park and gave a first look at the not-so-little little baby. Take a look!
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In a sweet Instagram photo, the Indianapolis Zoo shared the news about the new baby and a photo of the new mom kissing her baby.
Related: Baby Rhino at the Oregon Zoo Goes Outside for First Time and Has the Sweetest Response
“BABY NEWS!” the zoo shared in the caption of the image share. “Rhino mom Zenzele and the Indianapolis Zoo are big winners on this Super Bowl Sunday! Zenzele gave birth to a calf at 9:13 this morning.”
The zoo shared that mama Zenzele “is an experienced and confident mom,” which means she’s likely not going to be too stressed and that “both she and her baby are doing well.”
In the picture, we see the little calf lying on the ground and her mom giving her a gentle touch with her nose.
“The calf brings the Zoo’s herd of rhinoceroses to five. Both Zenzele and her calf will spend time together indoors and will begin introductions with the other members of the herd later this spring,” the caption concluded.
“Aww, hi, baby! And good job, mama!” one person wrote in the comments.
“Oh, Congratulations!!!! So beautiful,” shared someone else.
“So sweet! Congrats, mama!” wrote another fan.
“Congratulations to Zenzele and to the zoo! It’s amazing how (comparatively) little that baby is,” added someone else. “Amazing news, and such a cool day for it to happen!”
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In a follow-up video posted on February 20, 2024, the zoo gave an update on how mom and baby are doing and shared some fun news.
“IT’S A GIRL!” the caption read, accompanying a video of the little rhino running around her mom. “We are happy to announce our animal care team confirmed Zenzele’s calf is a female and is nursing well with mom. We even got footage of her doing her first zoomies! Look at her go!”
White rhinos are considered rare and ‘near threatened’
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), white rhinos are classified as “near threatened.”
As of January 6, 2020, the agency estimated there to be approximately 10,080 mature White Rhinos left in the world, which is falling each year.
“Estimated White Rhino numbers have declined 15% from 2012–17 in response to increased poaching,” the organization notes.
The animals are also losing their land to agriculture and other human settlements, making it more challenging for them to find space away from humans.
Though the numbers are low, the conservation efforts for the white rhino have been very positive.
The recovery of the white rhino is a spectacular conservation success,” Bas Huijbregts, African Species Manager, Wildlife Conservation Program, said, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. “Brought back from the brink of extinction, their survival is once again threatened by relentless poaching for the illegal trade in their horn. We must increase our fight against these wildlife criminals, both in Africa, as well as where their horns end up in Asia.”
And now the world has one more!
