San Diego Zoo Welcomes Calf of Critically Endangered Male Black Rhino

The staff of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is thrilled to announce the birth of a male black rhino, who is the 15^th rhino calf born at the Park.

Born July 12, the critically endangered male rhino calf is the fifth calf born to Lembe and Jambia. The arrival of the male calf is significant as just around 5,000 of this endangered species are left in the wild.

According to the San Diego Zoo authorities, mother Lembe is being very protective of her young calf and follows him with her tail pointed up, which provides a cue to the calf that they are being monitored. The unnamed calf can be seen following his mother and at times fumbling over his footing.

"Poaching is the main reason why the numbers of black rhinos are on the decline," said Julie Anderson, a keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. "Any birth here at the Park is an important birth, and we have been very fortunate to have a newborn baby here at the Safari Park."

"At 100 pounds, the baby will get much larger. An adult black rhino can be 5 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh upward of 3,000 pounds," according to LA Times.

The black rhinos are listed as critically endangered as their population declined by an estimated 96.7 percent since the 1960. They are on the verge of extinction, mainly due to poaching that is fueled by commercial demand. The current population of these rhinos is almost 90 percent less than what it used to be three generations ago.  
They feed at night and are known to have a sharp hearing ability as well as a keen sense of smell.

The zoo-goers can view the mother and the unnamed calf at the facility's Africa Tram tour.