An endangered white male rhino calf was born earlier this week at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney had shared a sneak peek of the newborn.
The yet to be named beautiful baby boy white rhino was born to mom Kendi. He is curious, loves his afternoon naps and has started sparring with his mom.
The video below features endearing moments as mother Kendi bonds with her playful new baby:
Kendi was paired with dad Dugan through one of the Species Survival Plans, which are overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered species. White rhinos are an endangered species with a near-threatened status.
Typically, a rhino calf can weigh up to 140 pounds at birth, and as expected, this baby was nursing, standing and walking around right by mom within the first hour of being born. The two will spend the next several weeks bonding backstage before joining the rest of the herd.
As the second largest-land animal on Earth, the rhinoceros is a massive sight to behold – from their horns to their hoofs and thick armored skin – all of it.
Rhinos in the wild are found in bush country and open grassy flatlands in Africa and Southeast Asia. They are among the most endangered animals in the world due largely in part to poaching. Disney is proud to support rhino conservation efforts around the world, including those of Sumatran rhinos, which are found only in Indonesia and are critically endangered. To date, the Disney Conservation Fund has provided more than $2 million to support rhino conservation efforts around the world.
This is the first of several rhino births on the horizon. Two other rhinos at the park are also expecting; Jao is due fall 2021, and Lola will likely give birth in fall/winter 2021.