The population of the critically endangered eastern black rhino has just gotten bigger, thanks to the birth of a healthy calf at Chester Zoo in the UK.
Following 15 months of pregnancy, the celebratory event was caught on the zoo’s security camera which shows the young calf suckling from her mother, Ema Elsa, just 10 minutes after she was born.
“The birth of a critically endangered eastern black rhino is always very special,” said Andrew McKenzie, team manager of rhinos at the zoo. “And to be able to watch on camera as a calf is born is an incredible privilege – with rhino numbers so, so low it, sadly, isn’t something that’s captured very often.”
There are fewer than 1,000 eastern black rhino remaining on the planet, most of them living in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. According to experts, the animals remain critically endangered due to increased demand for rhino horns from the Asian medicine market.
“These rhinos have been pushed to the very edge of existence and every single addition to the European endangered species breeding program is celebrated globally,” McKenzie said.
The zoo is now encouraging animal lovers to help select a name for the baby rhino. On the zoo’s Facebook page, followers can take part in a poll to choose between Kasulu, Koshi, and Kaari.
