Rhino Baby Boom: Two rhinos born at White Oak!
In early November of last year, a black rhino calf was born at White Oak, the first birth of this species in 13 years. Because of concerns over his low birth weight and difficulty in nursing, the decision was made to bring him into human care. ‘Tidbit’ is being fed a formula matching rhino milk that consists of skim and 1% cow’s milk. Our rhino team and the veterinarians are monitoring him closely. He recently gained a ‘friend’: an eastern bongo calf that he shares a heated barn with and they can be seen playing together outside on warm days.
In December, our greater one-horned rhino, Shomili, gave birth to her first calf, Kali. Kali is a bouncing baby girl and is being raised by her mother. They, too, have a heated barn for chilly days but can be seen roaming their large habitat on warmer days.
Southern black rhinos are native to southern Africa and are considered ‘critically endangered’. Greater one-horned rhinos (also referred to as Indian rhinos) native to India and Nepal and are considered ‘vulnerable.’ Both species are under threat due to poaching for their horns, which is prized in Asian countries as a status symbol and for traditional medicine. The birth of these two rhinos is important as they represent the future of their species.
Read more about Tidbit and Kali’s story here…