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Mother Kiazi, 22, and father Mumbles, 12, welcomed their unnamed calf on December 24.
The new parents were ‘recommended’ for breeding under the AZA White Rhino Species Survival Plan
Zoo Atlanta confirmed that the calf is healthy and strong and that Kiazi is receiving maternal care
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Zoo Atlanta got an early Christmas surprise by welcoming the birth of its first rare southern white rhino calf over the weekend.
The unnamed calf was born to mother Kiazi, 22, and father Mumbles, 12, on December 24.
The species is currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to poaching for its horns.
In early 2022, the parents met after Kiazi arrived in late 2021 from another Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Veterinary and animal care teams have monitored Kiazi through voluntary ultrasounds since detecting her pregnancy in spring 2023.
The zoo confirmed that the calf is healthy and strong and that Kiazi is receiving maternal care.
The unnamed calf was born to mother Kiazi, 22, and father Mumbles, 12, on December 24.
In a press release, the Zoo confirmed that the calf is healthy and strong and that Kiazi is receiving maternal care.
The new parents were “recommended” to breed under the AZA White Rhino Species Survival Plan, of which the zoo is a member.
The plan aims to maintain healthy, genetically diverse and self-sustaining animal populations under professional human care.
Raymond B. King, President and CEO of Zoo Atlanta, said: ‘The Zoo Atlanta family is beyond excited about the birth of Kiazi’s calf. This birth was long-awaited news for many months. We have had many exciting developments in our rhino population over the past year.
‘If there is a special connection our members and guests can make with Kiazi and her calf, this is a connection that can translate into conservation action.
“All rhino species are currently endangered, and as stewards of this new ambassador here in Atlanta, we also have a responsibility to do everything we can to raise awareness about the state of wild rhinos.”
An eastern black rhino born in 2013 is the only other rhino to have been born at the zoo in the organization’s 134-year history.
In October 2023, a new 17-year-old rhino named Dakari was also introduced to the zoo under the Survival Plan. You will be introduced to Mumbles sometime in 2024.
Kiazi had two other children in the past at another organization before moving to Zoo Atlanta.
The new parents were “recommended” for breeding by the AZA White Rhino Species Survival Plan, of which the zoo is a member.
White rhino pregnancies are among the longest in the animal kingdom, averaging between 16 and 18 months and newborns weighing between 100 and 150 pounds at birth.
These semi-social and territorial animals, found in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya and Zambia, can live up to 35 years in the wild and 40 in captivity.
The herbivorous mammal is the most recognizable African rhino species. The southern white rhino stands 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 6,000 pounds.
White rhino pregnancies are among the longest in the animal kingdom, averaging between 16 and 18 months and newborns weighing between 100 and 150 pounds at birth.
Reproduction in this species occurs throughout the year, with courtship and mating periods lasting one to three weeks. Gestation is approximately 16 months. Females usually begin to reproduce at six years old and males at 10 or 12 years old.