Very Rare Black Rhino Born At Michigan Zoo On XMas Eve

Dec 30, 2019

Rhinos are a popular creature at many zoos around the world, but black rhinos are particularly rare. There are only 5,500 black rhinos in the world, 50 of which are cared for by zoos that participate with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This is the story of a very unique birth of a very unique animal in Potter Park Zoo in Michigan.

One of those black rhinos, Doppsee, is a female that resides at the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan. The father, named Phineus, was transferred from a zoo in Texas, and matched to breed together through the eastern black rhino Species Survival Plan (SSP.)

Doppsee is 12 years old and has never given birth before. On Christmas Eve, that all changed, reports CNN.

Twelve-year-old Doppsee gave birth to a baby boy early Tuesday morning. The new baby black rhino has yet to be named but is said to be doing well by zoo staff.

The birth of this new baby black rhino took years of planning by the people at the Potter Park Zoo. It took many attempts, but the breeding of Doppsee and Phineus was finally successful, and has resulted in the birth of this new baby boy.

While Doppsee and her baby will be kept from public viewing for several months, the staff and veterinarians at Potter Park Zoo are closely monitoring the new family.

They are encouraged by the progress being made between mother and baby, which has included frequent nursing which occurred right after birth, CNN continued.

This is all part of the effort made on behalf of Save the Rhino, a group devoted to preserving this unique species. Black rhinos are considered critically endangered, with only 5,500 alive in the world today, according to the WWF.

While that number has doubled over the past 20 years, it's a significant decrease from the 65,000 black rhinos that inhabited the earth in 1970, Save The Rhino says.

The black rhino population has dwindled due to poachers and the loss of their habitats. Organizations like Save the Rhino are working hard to preserve this species through efforts like the breeding of Doppsee and Phineus.

While only two black rhino calves are born in zoos each year, it's encouraging that the total population of black rhinos is steadily increasing.

What do you think of Doppsee's new baby calf? Are there other things you think should be done by organizations like Save the Rhino to keep the population of black rhinos from declining even further? If you think Doppsee's new calf is worth talking about, be sure to pass this story along to your friends and family so they can read it.