The Kansas City Zoo is seeing pink. That’s because the new baby rhino is a girl. The zoo decided to hold a gender reveal party on Sunday, January 15 and it was the sweetest party ever, reported The Washington Times. The calf’s father, Ruka, speared a stuffed ball that was filled with pink confetti.
The eastern black rhinoceros calf was born on December 31, 2022, to 15-year-old Zuri and the zookeepers have kept the calf out of the public eye to give the pair time to bond.
The new parents first arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, in April 2018 according to a statement sent to Goodnet from The Kansas City Zoo. This calf is the first for both. The gestation period is 15-16 months and Zuri received regular checkups, ultrasounds, and blood monitoring throughout her pregnancy.
Black rhinos are critically endangered
This birth was eagerly awaited because the species is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). With only 740 of these beautiful animals left in the wild and 53 in zoos that are accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Rhinos in the wild are poached for their horns in record numbers, according to the World wildlife Fund. Conservationists are working to relocate the rhinos to preserves and chipping the animals’ horns to keep track of them and to help catch poachers.
The Kansas City Zoo is working with several programs in Asia and Africa to help protect these animals. The breeding program is helping to save the species.
Naming the new arrival
After the gender reveal party, the zoo began a naming contest on social media to pick her name, reported The Kansa City Star. The contest ran until January 22, 2023. Voters could choose between five different names including Eve, since the calf was born on New Year’s eve. The other choices included Kiara (princess in Swahili), Azula (the princess in Avatar), Mandazi, and Zumi because her mom tends to get the zommies.
What is her name? The calf’s name is Zumi, the zoo announced on social media after tallying the 14,421 votes submitted in the contest. And just like her mother, Zumi already is zooming around.
Breeding programs in facilities like the Kansas City Zoo are helping to keep this majestic species from becoming extinct and her birth is certainly something to be celebrated.
