CUMBERLAND, Ohio — The Wilds is celebrating the birth of a second greater one-horned rhinoceros calf in just two months. The conservation center says it marks another success in its commitment to wildlife preservation.
The male calf, who has not yet been named, was born on Nov. 25. The Wilds said that the calf appears to be strong and spends his time nursing, sleeping, exploring the rhino barn, and curiously observing other rhinos in adjacent areas.
The calf’s mother Sanya, who was born at the Toronto Zoo in 1999 and arrived at The Wilds in 2004, is an experienced mother as this is her seventh calf.
The calf’s father is 22-year-old Suru, who was born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2000. He came to The Wilds from Zoo Miami in 2021 per a breeding recommendation through the Species Survival Plan (SSP). This is Suru’s sixth calf.
The calf is the 11th greater one-horned rhino born at The Wilds in its history.
A female greater one-horned rhino calf was also born on Sept. 22, which was World Rhino Day.
The animal management team has been caring for the rhino since its mother Anna was treated for an infection.
Calves usually weigh more than 100 pounds at birth and gain a few pounds every day, eventually reaching 4,000-6,000 pounds as an adult. The calf is now already tipping the scales at 250 pounds.
As the calf grows stronger, the animal management team is working on a plan to integrate her with the herd so that she will have the opportunity to live and develop as a rhino.
The Wilds said each greater one-horned rhino birth is a significant achievement for a species that nearly went extinct during the 20th century. The conservation center is home to seven greater one-horned rhinos and is one of only 17 AZA-accredited facilities in North America to care for this species.
The Wilds is also home to 17 southern white rhinos and has had a total of 30 white rhino births since 2004, with the most recent being a female born on Sept. 23.
Guests who visit The Wilds this winter may have the opportunity to see the rhino calves in their barns during the Rhino Barn Tours and Winter Wildside Tours.