Watch Rare Baby Rhino Toddle Around
May 22, 2018 - This bundle of joy was born on May 3, 2018 at the Chester Zoo in the UK. The birth of the male Indian rhinoceros took just 20 minutes, after a 16-month gestation period. The soon-to-be-named calf and his mom, Asha, reportedly are doing well.
Also called greater one-horned rhinos, the adults have just one horn. Keepers describe the calf as a very confident, adventurous young rhino. Indian rhinos have segmented hides, which look like plates of body armor. Folds of flexible skin allow them to move nimbly – an adult can run up to 30 miles per hour.The calf weighs 132 pounds, and could eventually weigh as much as three tons.
The species was hunted nearly to extinction in the 20thCentury, and still is considered vulnerable. Conservation efforts have helped the population grow from 200 to approximately 2,600 individuals. Most live in protected areas in India and Nepal, and some, like Asha and her calf, are part of breeding programs intended to boost conservation.
