- Mother Kiazi, 22, and father Mumbles, 12, welcomed their unnamed calf on December 24
- The new parents were ‘recommended’ to breed under the AZA White Rhino Species Survival Plan
- Zoo Atlanta confirmed that the calf is healthy and strong and Kiazi is receiving maternal care
By Ishita Srivastava For Dailymail.Com
Published: | Updated:
Zoo Atlanta received an early Christmas surprise as it welcomed the birth of its first rare baby southern white rhinoceros over the weekend.
The unnamed calf was born to 22-year-old mother Kiazi and 12-year-old father Mumbles on December 24.
The species is currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to being poached for its horns.
In early 2022, the parents met after Kiazi arrived in late 2021 from another Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Animal Care and Veterinary Teams monitored Kiazi via voluntary ultrasounds since detecting her pregnancy in the spring of 2023.
The Zoo confirmed that the calf is healthy and strong and Kiazi is receiving maternal care.
The unnamed calf was born to 22-year-old mother Kiazi and 12-year-old father Mumbles on December 24
In a press release, the Zoo confirmed that the calf is healthy and strong and 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 in 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 has been 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 that our Members and guests can make with Kiazi and her calf, this is a connection that can translate to conservation action.
‘All rhino species are currently in peril, and as stewards of this brand-new ambassador here in Atlanta, we also have a responsibility to do all we can to raise awareness of the status of wild rhinos.’
An eastern black rhino born in 2013 is the only other rhino to take birth 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. She will be introduced to Mumbles sometime in 2024.
Kiazi has had two other children in the past at another organization before she moved to Zoo Atlanta.
The new parents were ‘recommended’ to breed by the AZA White Rhino Species Survival Plan, of which the zoo is a membe
White rhino pregnancies are among the animal kingdom’s longest, averaging anywhere between 16 months and 18 months and newborns weigh 100 to 150 pounds at birth
Found in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya and Zambia, the semi-social and territorial animals can live up to 35 years in the wild and 40 in captivity.
The herbivorous mammal is the most recognizable of Africa’s rhinoceros 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 animal kingdom’s longest, averaging anywhere between 16 months and 18 months and newborns weigh 100 to 150 pounds at birth.
Breeding in this species occurs year-round, with courtship and mating periods lasting one to three weeks. Gestation is approximately 16 months. Females usually begin to breed at six years old and males at 10 to 12 years old.