Rhino at Zoo Schmiding Gave Birth to Baby

At Zoo Schmiding (District Wels-Land), a white rhinoceros has been born. Early Tuesday morning, a zookeeper discovered the newborn. With the help of video recordings, the exact birth time was determined to be 2:34 AM. It is the sixth rhino baby to be born here, yet it cannot be considered routine, as stated in a press release on Tuesday. The young rhino is already showing itself to be very lively.

Mother initially exhausted

The calf was very curious and attentive from the start and has already drunk the first colostrum milk. It sniffs its surroundings and follows its mother "amazingly well on its wobbly legs," it was said. Mother Renette was still exhausted on the first day, and as soon as a zookeeper entered the stable, she positioned herself protectively in front of the young animal.

With a gestation period of 16 months - one of the longest in the animal kingdom - it was difficult to predict the exact birth date, which could also vary by a few weeks. The behavior of the mother was closely observed by the zookeepers in the last few days. A day before the birth, Renette showed increased restlessness and repeatedly took short sprints in the outdoor area. This was a possible sign of the impending birth.

Live images of rhino baby

White rhinoceroses are threatened in the wild by poaching and habitat loss. "Every successful breeding is therefore a touching moment and an important contribution to international species conservation," said Zoo Director Andreas Artmann.

In the coming days, mother and child will remain exclusively in the stable - they should calmly build a stable mother-child relationship. Visitors can follow the baby's first steps via live images. These are transmitted to a screen opposite the rhino stable. At a "Meet the keeper" event on the weekend, the rhino keepers will report live about their charges.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.