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Animals

UK Zookeepers Welcome Birth Of Critically Endangered Black Rhino

Zookeepers have welcomed the first birth of a black rhino in Europe in the year 2021.

The baby male was born at the Flamingo Land in Kirby Misperton, which is located near Malton, North Yorkshire at around 5:25 on Sunday.

Its mother had a 16-month long pregnancy.

The calf is yet to be named, said a report by DailyMail.

The black rhino is the first eastern black rhino to be born in Yorkshire.

The rhino was born to Samira, who was transferred to the Flamingo Land from Zurich Zoo in 2015, and father Magadi, who arrived from the Chester Zoo in 2019.

Sam DeBelle, head keeper at Flamingo Land, was happy with the birth.

Sam said:

We have waited so long for this baby, both mum and baby are doing incredibly well and I am so proud of Samira and all her keepers.

Ross Snipp, the zoo manager and park executive, said that the calf was the first black rhino that was born in Europe in 2021.

Talking about the birth, Ross said:

This success represents eight years of planning for the team and working collaboratively with our partners across Europe. All new births are exciting but there is added significance for this one, both for us and the global population.

Snipp said that they are trying to give the black rhino a Swahili name.

Gordon Fibb, the owner of Flamingo Land, said:

This is the first time a black rhino has been born in Yorkshire and, with only approximately 3,000 black rhinos left in the wild, continued our vitally important conservation work at home and abroad.

As of writing this, there are around 85 eastern black rhinos in European zoos and there are no more than an estimated around 3600 in the wild.

They are usually found in Kenya and Tanzania.

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