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For endangered species, a birth is like a caress to the soul, one more opportunity that Nature offers to appreciate its richness. For this reason, in the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, located in central New South Wales, in AustraliaThey have reason to celebrate: a black rhinoceros was born months after her father died.
Early in the morning of February 24, the experienced Bakhita went into labor. Finally, a healthy black rhino calf was born. And it is another female, something that fills of hopes as far as the perpetuity of the species is concerned.
Steve Hinks, director of the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, highlighted the importance of the birth as there are very few living specimens of this species left. Still nameless, the little black rhino does not leave her mother for a second.
“This calf is especially important because it carries the legacy of Kanzaa, our black rhino breeder, who sadly died in 2020,” said Hinks. Kwanzaa’s involvement was crucial in the species’ conservation program: she sired four black rhino calves, including the newborn.
In perfect health conditions, both the mother and her baby will remain under observation. During the next two months the care of both black rhinos will be extreme and then placed in the corral of their peers.
The world population of the African black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is concentrated in both eastern and western southern Africa. According to the 2018 surveys, there are only 5,630 living specimens left.
Despite the alarming nature of the situation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, for its acronym in English) assured that the number of specimens of these large mammals grows gradually year after year.
Although the growth rate is around 2.5% per year, it is encouraging enough to suppose that this species, victim for years of poaching and illegal trade, can be perpetuated.
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