CUMBERLAND, Ohio — The Wilds announced Thursday that they have welcomed two new rare rhinos to their conservation center.
The first rhino calf, who is currently unnamed, is a greater one-horned rhino and was born on Sept. 22, just in time for World Rhino Day.
Upon the rhino's birth, The Wilds' management team began noticing her mother, Anna, was unable to care for the newborn and both rhinos required medical intervention.
“I applaud the successful efforts of our Animal Management team who made the difficult, but correct, decision to hand-rear this calf for her own wellbeing and for the wellbeing of her mother,” said Dr. Joe Smith, vice president of The Wilds. “A 150-pound bottle-fed calf is an impressive success story and a noteworthy benchmark in our unprecedented breeding program for species that face so many threats in their native rangelands.”
Once the rhino calf grows stronger, The Wilds said they plan to integrate her with the herd so that despite the special attention she is receiving from caregivers, she will have the opportunity to live and develop as a rhino.
The calf is the 10th greater one-horned rhino born at The Wilds. Her father is 22-year-old Suru, who was born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2000. The Wilds is home to six greater one-horned rhinos.
Just one day after the birth of the female greater one-horned rhino, The Wilds welcomed a female southern white rhino on Sept. 23. The calf was born in the pasture to 10-year-old Anan, who was born at The Wilds in 2009.
The Wilds is the only facility outside of Africa with white rhinos born four and five generations removed from their wild-born ancestors.
“Our successful rhino breeding programs are a valuable insurance policy for these animals that face grave dangers in their native ranges,” Smith said.
To round out the new births this fall, The Wilds welcomed a Persian onager, their first since 2017. The foal marks the 34th onager born at The Wilds.
