Rare Black Rhino Drops In Kansas City Zoo

On the last day of 2022 a black rhino entered the world, a good thing since there are only about 740 of the critically endangered species remaining in the wild. This one will live in a tamer environment, the Kansas City Zoo.

The zoo announced the new arrival on Facebook, lauding the efforts of the mom, Zuri. “The rhinos’ animal care specialists report the calf is walking, nursing, and even playing spar, and that Zuri is a patient and attentive first-time mother.” (We assume they don’t mean Spar the card game but the “sparring” often done between mother and calf, a gentle butting of heads.)

The zoo staff will determine the calf’s sex in the coming weeks and, following the gender reveal, will crowd-source a name for the new rhino. Meanwhile, “the barn is being kept quiet with limited human interaction to allow them plenty of time to bond, which is a very important process.”

Both Zuri and the baby’s father, Ruka, came from the Oregon Zoo in 2018 on the recommendation of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. Zuri, now 15, was born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo while 11-year-old Ruka was born at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Photo credit: Kansas City Zoo on Facebook