Miracle Critically Endangered Black Rhino Born On Christmas Eve

An incredibly rare black rhino has been born on Christmas Eve at a US zoo, after years of planning and preparation.

In the 100 year history of Michegan's Potter Park Zoo, this is the first time the critically endangered species has been born in the facility.

The exciting moment took place at 5:40am on 24th December, with subsequent footage captured and shared on the zoo's social media channel, as a Christmas treat for its followers.

In the incredible clip, you can see the calf stand up an hour-and-a-half after it was born, under the protection of its doting mother.

The sweet wobbly calf then sniffs out its surroundings before heading over to its mum for a feed.

Potter Park Zoo)

Happily, the zoo reports that the little one - who doesn't yet have a name - is doing well following its birth, and appears to be in good shape.

Potter Park Zoo veterinarian, Dr. Ronan Eustace, said: "As this is Doppsee's first pregnancy, the animal care and veterinary staff will continue to monitor Doppsee and her calf closely in the next few weeks.

"But so far, the rhino calf appears healthy and we have observed frequent nursing shortly after the birth, which is encouraging."

Potter Park Zoo)

Cynthia Wagner, Director of Potter Park Zoo, added: "This is a monumental moment for Potter Park Zoo that has taken our staff years of planning and hard work. We are dedicated to conserving rhinos and couldn't be more excited about this successful black rhino birth."

While Doppsee and her calf are receiving round-the-clock care from the zoo, members of the public will not be able to see them at the facility until spring 2020, to give the little one time to settle in and develop.

However, the zoo is sharing regular updates on it's social pages, including an adorable set of snaps of the calf bonding with its mother and suckling for milk.

One local wrote: "We are even more excited for our zoo pass now!! We get to watch the baby rhino grow!!"

While another added: "Thank you so much for sharing this special moment with the us! it made Christmas Eve day even more special".

The moment truly was one to remember, as black rhinos are currently on the brink of extinction as a result of illegal poaching and the eradication of their habitats.

Just over 50 black rhinos inhabit AZA accredited zoos, which are managed by the Species Survival Plan (SSP), who assure there's always enough black rhinos being bred.

On average, only two black rhino calves are born into human care per year, making the little'n an essential part of this urgent mission to save the species.

Topics: Life News, News, Cute, Animals

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

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