ABOVE: The day-old southern white rhino calf pictured walking around at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
KEN BOHN/SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL
A southern white rhino calf born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park marks the first successful artificial insemination birth of the species in North America. The newborn male, born to his mother Victoria on Sunday (July 28), inspires hope for its critically endangered relative, the northern white rhino.
“Not only are we thankful for a healthy calf, but this birth is significant, as it also represents a critical step in our effort to save the northern white rhino from the brink of extinction,” says Barbara Durrant, director of reproductive sciences for San Diego Zoo Global, in an announcement.
While an estimated 18,000 southern white rhinos exist in the wild, the northern white rhino subspecies has nearly disappeared. The last northern male died in March 2018, according to the ...
