West Palm Beach, FL – Lion Country Safari welcomed a male
Southern White Rhinoceros calf to its herd on September 26th, 2019.
The calf is one of very few third generation white rhinoceroses born in human
care and is highly genetically valuable regarding the survival of the species. Both
the calf and mom are now located in the rhino maternity area where they can
spend some quality time bonding together. The maternity area is visible to
guests in their cars from the road in the Hwange National Park section of the
drive-through safari.
The baby, named Bash (a name with
African origins that means “the forerunner”), was born to mom Anna after 16
months of gestation. Bash is the first offspring of both Anna and dad, Chitabe.
It is expected that Bash will gain 3-4 pounds (1.4-1.8kg) a day from his
mother’s milk, and will gain about a thousand pounds (453.6kg) a year for the
first three years. Baby rhinos nurse for
almost two years.
Of the 5 species of rhinos
(White, Black, Indian, Sumatran and Javan) the white rhino is the most abundant
with approximately 20,000 alive today but all 5 species are in peril due mostly
to poaching. The Southern White Rhino is the only species of rhino that eats
only grasses; the others are also browsers.
Lion Country Safari is home to 12
White Rhinos – 9 females and 3 males. Since 1979, Lion Country Safari has had
35 rhino offspring and is proud to participate in the White Rhinoceros Species
Survival Plan (SSP), a program of the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA).
For more information on rhinos,
visit the International Rhino Foundation http://www.rhinos.org and Save the
Rhinos www.savetherhino.org.