Baby Rhino Steals the Show at Zoo Miami

A female black rhinoceros was born at Zoo Miami on May 25th, 2014. A newborn of this highly endangered species is joyous news for all involved, including her parents, Eddie and Circe. Fourteen-year-old Circe carried the baby for approximately 15 months before its birth. 

The alarmingly low numbers of black rhinoceros are due to continued poaching in Eastern and Southern Africa. The number of rhinos in the wild has been reduced from approximately 100,000 to 5,000 in the last century. They are slain for their horns, which are in demand in some eastern cultures for use as ingredients in traditional medicine and as status symbols.

Black rhinos are solitary, with the exception of a female with her offspring. Males of the species have a distinct mating display, in which they swing their heads from side to side while brushing the ground with their horn. The rhinos eat branches and leaves, grasses, herbs and fruit, and are capable of running 30 miles per hour. Via Zooborns.  

Images Credit: Zoo Miami.