TAMPA, Fla. — ZooTampa at Lowry Park announced the birth of a female southern white rhino calf on March 22. The arrival marks the 10th successful southern white rhino birth in the history of the zoo.
The calf, named Kelele, was born at approximately 3:30 a.m. to mother Kidogo and father Mufasa. The birth was coordinated through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, a program designed to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population of the species.
Kelele weighed between 80 and 100 pounds at birth and has begun nursing. Zoo staff observed small tufts of white hair on the calf’s ears, a physical feature not previously documented in rhinos born at ZooTampa. The name Kelele means “noise” and “highest peak” in Swahili.
Kidogo, the 22-year-old mother, has now successfully given birth to seven calves. This birth marks the first daughter for the father, Mufasa.
Chris Massaro, the senior vice president and chief zoological officer at ZooTampa, praised the mother’s care for the new arrival.“Kidogo did well with the birth of her seventh baby and she has been very attentive,” Massaro said. “The birth is also special for second-time dad, Mufasa, with the arrival of his first daughter. The calf is a critical step in our ongoing effort to save the imperiled species from extinction. Each calf born here represents a strong, multigenerational crash that contributes to conservation efforts around the world.”
Southern white rhinos are the second-largest land mammals after elephants. They have a gestation period of 16 to 18 months and typically give birth every two to five years.
At full maturity, they can grow to 13 feet long and weigh up to 5,000 pounds. Despite their size, they can run at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.
The global population of southern white rhinos has rebounded from fewer than 100 individuals at the start of the 20th century to approximately 16,800 today.
While they are now found across 11 African countries, poaching continues to threaten the species’ future. A group of rhinos is referred to as a “crash.”
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